On Tuesday it was leaked that Ben Simmons met with the Philadelphia 76ers last week in Los Angeles and informed them that he has no plans to play for them again. The move puts the ball back in Philly’s court, and now they have to try and plan out their next move in this ongoing chess match.
If they opt to trade him, one team consistently pops up as an option: the Minnesota Timberwolves. Gersson Rosas is aggressive enough to pursue this type of trade and reportedly already has. But for Minnesota, is the baggage with Ben Simmons worth it?
The Wolves should still be interested despite the questions about his motivation and love for the game. The overriding factor rests with the fact that the alleged baggage Simmons has isn’t the kind we see with other athletes. It stems from a different outlet that makes it worth the risk for Minnesota. But, make no mistake, it would still be a risk.
This happens all the time in sports. Disgruntled stars or players who are a huge distraction for one reason or another keep getting opportunities because organizations believe what they will get on the court/field outweighs the negatives.
It’s why Antonio Brown still has a job in the NFL and why Terrell Owens kept getting short deals at the end of his career.
Simmons’ case is peculiar though because he doesn’t have off-the-court issues. He hasn’t been in any legal trouble. His form of a distraction comes from something else.
Simmons is a three-time All-Star. He’s been an All-Pro and is one of the best defenders in the NBA. Adding a player like that should be worth it for any franchise. It isn’t that simple, though. Reports have popped up throughout his career mentioning that he doesn’t enjoy playing basketball at times.
In 2019, Simmons said he “fell in love with the game again,” after numerous reports indicated his growing disinterest. And that’s the key word. It wasn’t an anger that was then fueled by hunger to get better for Simmons. Many threw out the word “disinterested,” in regards to Simmons’ feelings about the game. He put that notion to rest.
“I feel like this summer I fell in love with the game again,” Simmons said. ”I kind of got back to who I was and having fun with the game. I felt like the past season I lost that enjoyment side of it, but I feel like this summer has been huge for me. Just the work I’ve been putting in, I kinda fell in love with putting that work in again, and I’ve been in the gym every day working and the results have been paying off, so I’m excited for the season to start.”
Fast forward two years later, and he’s ready to mail it in for Philly after a brutal postseason — both individually and for the team as a whole — where they were eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Atlanta Hawks. As a result, Simmons was heavily criticized both internally and externally as Philly fans booed him and his teammates off the floor.
Simmons appeared to show a lack of desire to battle through the tough times instead of continuing to grind away at his craft. That’s why many fans have consternation with Simmons. But maybe he just needs a change of scenery. The pressure in a place like Minnesota won’t be near what it is in Philadelphia. Perhaps it’s a better fit for a player with his personality.
If the Wolves were to trade for him, they’d be giving up a lot. Multiple future first-round picks and names like D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jaden McDaniels would be in the mix.
Minnesota would be investing in a player who threw in the towel on his most recent franchise and has one huge flaw in his game that still hasn’t evolved: shooting.
It’s entirely possible that Simmons has busted his tail to develop some sort of jump shot over the years, and it just isn’t going to work. But to see him not even try to score late in meaningful games is deflating and is a red flag for potential interested parties like the Timberwolves.
Every summer the same videos of him working on his shooting and improving his game come out of Simmons’ camp. It still hasn’t translated over to the regular season floor, and after a few years, many wonder why that’s the case. But trading for Simmons would mean getting a certified defensive gem. Minnesota’s team defense has been horrible over the last few seasons, and it would be an immediate upgrade to complement the Patrick Beverley acquisition.
However, trading for Simmons would also mean investing heavily in someone who hasn’t shown the drive to really commit his full focus to developing into a superstar with any semblance of a jump shot. One of the big knocks on Andrew Wiggins was that many believed he was never fully invested and never improved after winning Rookie of the Year.
Simmons is clearly a tier or two above Wiggins. But like the Canadian, he hasn’t gotten exceptionally better since entering the league. Despite all of that, adding him to this roster could take Minnesota to the next level, making all the questions and the baggage worth it.
