The NBA preseason is two weeks old and All-Star point-forward Ben Simmons has yet to report to the Philadelphia 76ers, though the latest from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggests some of the tension may be easing.
Reporting Monday ,Wojnarowski tweeted that talks between the 76ers and Simmons’ representation have “progressed” towards a “resolution” that could have Simmons suited up with his teammates in the “near future.”
Woj says the Sixers continue “canvassing the league for trades” but they still hope to have Simmons return and play for the organization for the long haul.
The organization's hopes are unchanged: Get Simmons back into Philadelphia, onto the court and ultimately convince him that it's still the place for the long-term.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 11, 2021
The Athletic’s Shams Charania confirmed Woj’s report.
The Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, have been working around the clock over the last few days on a resolution to have the three-time All-Star return to market, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 11, 2021
Just days ago, The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski reported that the Timberwolves remain “bullish” in their attempts to trade for Simmons.
“The Wolves are bullish,” Krawczynski wrote. “They want to be at the head of this table. They know they don’t have the pieces to give Daryl Morey that are immediately going to help him win a championship. The hope is that maybe if Daryl Morey gets pressed into a corner, maybe he would take a draft pick heavy package from the Wolves and then use some of those picks later on down the line to go get a Damian Lillard or a Bradley Beal.”
If the Wolves don’t trade for Simmons they still have an exciting roster that could begin to make a charge in the loaded Western Conference. Anthony Edwards may very well be the alpha in his sophomore season, while this could also be the first year of an extended look at Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell both healthy at the same time.
Mix in the veteran addition of point guard Patrick Beverly and the growth of Jaden McDaniels, and all of a sudden the Wolves might have the pieces to make the playoffs. Remember, McDaniels as a 5-star recruit out of high school and then the PAC 12 Freshman of the Year at Washington before the Wolves got him with the 28th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The Timberwolves play two more preseason games this week (Monday at the Clippers and Thursday at Brooklyn) before tipping off the regular season Oct. 20 at Target Center against the Houston Rockets.
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