Timberwolves Veteran Wants Ben Simmons in Minnesota

Ben Simmons is soon to be out of Philadelphia. As the Sixers point guard plans to hold out from training camp later this month and reportedly requested a trade,
Timberwolves Veteran Wants Ben Simmons in Minnesota
Timberwolves Veteran Wants Ben Simmons in Minnesota /

Ben Simmons is soon to be out of Philadelphia. As the Sixers point guard plans to hold out from training camp later this month and reportedly requested a trade, Simmons will more than likely get what he wants in due time as the 76ers have been shopping him around all offseason long.

One team that has been consistently linked to Simmons in trade rumors is the Minnesota Timberwolves. As the T'Wolves could use another notable piece to add to their core of Karl Anthony-Towns, D'Angelo Russell, and the former first-overall pick Anthony Edwards, Minnesota has had its sights set on Simmons.

Recently, one Timberwolves veteran took to Twitter to publicly endorse a potential Simmons trade to the Timberwolves as the latest reports in the Simmons trade saga made their rounds on social media on Tuesday night.

Patrick Beverly, a 33-year-old veteran guard, played the last four seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. After wrapping up the 2020-2021 run by losing in the Western Conference Finals, the Clippers looked to make some notable changes by getting rid of a couple of veterans. Beverly happened to be one of them.

In an offseason trade between the Clippers and the Grizzlies, Beverly was sent to Memphis. However, the Grizzlies wasted no time flipping Beverly elsewhere. In a matter of a few days, Beverly was traded once again to the Timberwolves, where they plan to keep and utilize the defensive standout.

And Beverly wants to see the Timberwolves keep the trade momentum going and land the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up from the 76ers as he believes adding Simmons would immediately help the Timberwolves become legitimate contenders.

While the Timberwolves have been the most consistent team involved in trade talks revolving around Simmons, they've struggled to gain any real traction. Not only does Minnesota lack the assets to meet Daryl Morey's asking price, but the players that would interest Philly the most are labeled as untouchable by the Wolves.

At this point, it would take a third team to get involved for the Timberwolves to land Simmons. That's been the case for months now, and no teams have really gotten involved. While trade talks between the Timberwolves and the Sixers could heat up in the coming weeks as training camp approaches, it seems Simmons isn't heading out to Minnesota anytime soon -- if ever.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA