It sounds like a lot, doesn't it?
How's this sound? D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and two No. 1 picks for Ben Simmons
That's a lot. But that's the proposed deal ESPN's writers would like to see. Does it make sense?
August 4, 2021 at 11:23AM
That's the first impression upon reading the latest iteration of ESPN's "Ben Simmons trades we'd like to see" and scrolling frantically to the part about the Timberwolves.
But as the Wolves sat idly for ... taps fingers ... more than the first TWELVE HOURS of free agency, one couldn't help but wonder if they were plotting something big.
As Chris Hine and I talked about on Tuesday's Daily Delivery podcast, the Wolves have sat out — at least so far — the very early part of free agency, a stage which frankly seems to be focused on overpaying rotation players.
Minnesota's cap situation and trajectory dictates that it probably should only be thinking about pretty small or very big moves at the moment.
If you don't see the podcast player, tap here to listen.
The biggest of the big would be swinging a deal for Philadelphia's Ben Simmons. If you think determining Byron Buxton's value in a potential Twins trade is difficult, try Simmons: a classic high ceiling, low floor player who can defend with the best, run in transition but also can be a late-game liability with his inability to shoot free throws (or much of anywhere beyond 10 feet).
ESPN set the price at this: D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and two lightly protected future first round picks (2022 and 2024 would be the earliest they could convey) for Simmons. George Hill was also included, but he is being waived by the 76ers so that piece would need to be altered.
How you feel about this probably depends on the sum total of four questions:
*Who do you consider part of the Wolves' untradeable core? If it's Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards and nobody else, then you can imagine Russell (and Beasley to a lesser degree) being the main parts of the trade. If you like a Big Three with Russell in it, you likely think the price is far too high.
*How much do you value Simmons? Even as a "distressed asset" following a miserable stretch in the playoffs, Simmons is clearly the best player in the trade. How much better is the key question, as is how much you subscribe to the notion that the team getting the best player wins the trade no matter what. I happen to love his potential fit on the Wolves' roster, but his flaws are also undeniable.
*How worried are you about Beasley? The Wolves guard was suspended 12 games last season stemming from an incident outside his home almost a year ago. If he runs into any more off-court trouble, he could be sidelined for much longer than that.
*How good do you think the Wolves would be after this deal? If you think the Wolves would immediately become a playoff contender with Simmons, then trading a top-3 protected pick in 2022 and a top-5 protected pick in 2024 is easier to stomach. Those picks should be in the mid-to-high teens or even 20s if the Wolves truly contend. Then again, the Wolves probably thought that about the pick that ended up conveying to Golden State at No. 7 this year. It's all a calculated risk.
What we know is this: Wolves President Gersson Rosas believes in trades as a primary vehicle for building this roster; he comes from Houston, which used picks primarily as trade assets during a long stretch of contention; and he covets players who are young but experienced, like Simmons, to match the timeline of Towns.
I'll keep my Twitter alerts on just in case.
When he was hired after the disastrous 2016 season to reshape the Twins, Derek Falvey brought a reputation for identifying and developing pitching talent. It took a while, but the pipeline we were promised is now materializing.
