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The Brooklyn Nets have a lot to sort through this season as they look to be as competitive as possible for the next few seasons. If they’re lucky, the Nets may be able to use one of their higher-priced players as a way to open up more possibilities on the trade market.
According to Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report, the top target for the Minnesota Timberwolves during free-agency season is to get Brooklyn’s Ben Simmons’ contract on the books. Bailey states that since Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic can’t completely rule out a trade of Minnesota center Karl-Anthony Towns this offseason, it’s possible that the Timberwolves and the Nets could be trade partners.
Simmons, 26, has two years and nearly $78 million left on his five-year, $177 million extension that he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in July of 2019 while Towns, 27, has five years and over $256 million left on his contract. Both players are in different situations as Towns is one of the better big men in the NBA while Simmons is still trying to regain the All-Star form that he had during his time with the 76ers.
While Simmons is considered by many to have one of the worst contracts at this moment, it’s possible that Minnesota regrets pairing Towns with Rudy Gobert in an era where playing two big men has little to no upside. If a trade between Brooklyn and Minnesota were to occur, and said trade involves Towns and Simmons, Brooklyn could get the stretch-big that it’s been looking for in Towns while Minnesota gets some draft picks and a contract that at the very least is two years from expiring if Simmons is unable to attain his prior form.
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