By David F, Cohen
This is a deal that is made for Sam Hinkie, the Sixers general manager.
Brian Windhorst, ESPN’s crack NBA insider, is reporting that the Sixers are expected to be the third team involved in a trade that would send Kevin Love to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Andrew Wiggins to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Windhorst was less clear about what the Sixers would be receiving back, saying the Sixers would “possibly” send out forward Thaddeus Young (photo above) to the Timberwolves, with Cavaliers second-year player Anthony Bennett coming back to the Sixers as well as unspecified draft picks.
“The deal is done,” said Windhorst of Love to the Cavaliers. “The teams have agreed, but they can’t say they have agreed.”
The teams being forced to wait to execute the deal leaves the completion of it up in the air, as another team could come in and offer a sweeter deal to the Timberwolves.
The trade cannot be announced until August 23rd because the Cavaliers have already signed Wiggins to his rookie contract. Per NBA rules, a rookie cannot be traded for 30 days after he signs his deal.
If the deal is completed, the Sixers would have a very intriguing prospect in Bennett to pair up with center Nerlens Noel and point guard Michael Carter-Williams.
The No. 1 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Bennett had one of the worst rookie seasons for a first overall pick in league history. The 6-foot-8, 259 pound forward averaged 4.2 points, 0.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 12.8 minutes. There is new-found optimism surrounding Bennett, however, after he had an impressive showing in the Las Vegas Summer League. Bennett shot 46% from the field, looked far more athletic than he did his rookie season, and displayed the kind of offense game that made him the top pick.
Bennett also answered some questions about his weight in Las Vegas, as he reportedly has dropped 19 pounds since his rookie season.
Should the trade happen, Bennett would seem to be in an ideal landing spot. Bennett would be the main focus on the offensive end, filling the Sixers desperate need for a scorer.
