Gersson Rosas is out, Elton Brand is possibly in, and Ben Simmons is still available. Does this mean the Sixers could acquire Anthony Edwards?
In addition to all of the “news” surrounding Ben Simmons yesterday, the Minnesota Timbers made headlines by parting with their President of Basketball Operations, Gersson Rosas. The story, broken by Jon Krawczynski and Shams Charania of The Athletic, details the shocking dysfunction of the Rosas administration.
The Timberwolves already have multiple names on their radar, reportedly include one Sixers fans will easily recognize. According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fisher, Sixers General Manager Elton Brand is a name the new Timberwolves ownership group is interested in to replace Rosas.
With the recent front office shake-up and the Wolves alleged interest in Elton Brand, could the Wolves be willing to part with former first-overall pick Anthony Edwards in a Ben Simmons deal? It was previously reported that Anthony Edwards was off the table in a Ben Simmons trade, it’s possible that’s still the case but under new leadership, it is subject to change.
The Minnesota Timberwolves‘ interest in the Sixers’ star is well documented. It’s not known how high Rosas, in particular, was on Simmons, but a motive behind hiring Brand could involve the desire to complete a deal for Simmons.
Even if Brand isn’t hired, the Wolves’ interim replacement, Sachin Gupta, has Philadelphia ties as well, and while someone with an interim title certainly wouldn’t have the ability to make such a deal, there’s a belief that Gupta could fill the position full-time.
While Rosas had his own connections to the Sixers, a trade for Ben Simmons is far from dead. In fact, it could be more alive than ever. This new ownership group in Minnesota looks to be taking an aggressive, no-nonsense approach. What Rosas did was reprehensible, but many organizations in sports would, and have, swept situations like this under the rug. The Timberwolves did not do that, and the new ownership group surely wants to turn things around for the franchise in general.
It’s doubtful the team is excited to trade away last season’s first overall pick but to land a player of Simmons caliber, one who would give the team their first legitimate chance to make the playoffs since Jimmy Butler, they surely could be convinced.
A deal around Edwards, Patrick Beverley, and Taurean Prince would enable the Wolves to obtain the best player in the deal while retaining most of their future assets. The Sixers, meanwhile, would add an extremely talented player in Edwards who could be moved again should a superstar become available.
Edwards would help the Sixers compete now and would give them an ability to be much more patient than they can afford to be with Simmons. He could eventually reopen the possibilities of trading for Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal should they become available.
There’s no guarantee, but the front office turnover could be the key to a Ben Simmons trade. One that Sixers fans could actually be satisfied with.
