It is true that Ben Simmons trade talks are stalled at the moment.
After an abysmal showing in the 2021 playoffs, Ben put his flaws on full display, absolutely tanking his trade value entering the offseason.
Months later, even after an official trade demand by the young star, and it seems the Sixers are no closer to trading him than they were when they started.
Still, there is at least one franchise with a real interest in him: the Minnesota Timberwolves. In a recent article on The Athletic, Jon Krawczynski broke the news:
“The Timberwolves are the team out there right now that most wants Ben Simmons,” Krawczynski said.
"Timberwolves are the team out there right now that most wants Ben Simmons." – @JonKrawczynski
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) September 13, 2021
The bad news is, the Timberwolves aren’t exactly close to reaching a deal with Philly either. According to Krawczynski, the Wolves aren’t too keen on trading D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, or Karl-Anthony Towns in a deal.
They (the Sixers) want a premium for [Simmons],” Krawczynski said. “Someone that can help them right away. But the Timberwolves don’t want to trade Anthony Edwards or Karl-Anthony towns. Those are those are deal-breakers. And they really would rather not trade D’Angelo Russell.”
After years of early playoff defeats, the Timberwolves are in desperate need of reinforcements. Simmons, a young star who can make plays, defend, and finish around the rim, would go a long way in getting them back to the playoffs.
It’s easy to see why the front office would be so intrigued by the idea of trading for him.
In the end, though, nobody really knows how this will play out. If the Sixers refuse to lower their asking price, it’s going to be hard for them to find any trade partners. If they do, then Minnesota could one among a number of teams vying for Simmons’ services.
At this point, all we can do is wait and see.
