That sound you hear is new Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand laughing at the Minnesota Timberwolves all the way from the Liberty Bell.
Apppearing on The Bill Simmons Podcast, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reported that Minnesota asked for Ben Simmons from the Sixers in exchange for Jimmy Butler in recent trade discussions.
“One of the things that I’ve heard from a handful of sources is that—with the Sixers for example—the initial offer that they made, the counter-offer was like, ‘We need Ben Simmons in a deal,” O’Connor reported.
Well, that’s certainly one way to go about it. Demand one of the best young players in the NBA in exchange for a pending free agent that won’t sign an extension with Philadelphia. Did we mention Simmons is just 22 years old and earned NBA Rookie of the Year honors last season?
Let’s not forget that everyone and their dog knows Minnesota will be forced to trade the disgruntled Butler before opening night.
This comes on the heels of reports that Minnesota’s asking price for Butler remains too steep for teams.
ESPN Reporting w/ Zach Lowe: Minnesota’s asking price for Jimmy Butler remains too steep for teams. Minny seeks quality vets/top prospects/future assets/cap relief. Too high a price for interested teams, including Miami. Sources are skeptical of Thibodeau’s desire to make deal.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 27, 2018
Ya think?