Brooklyn Nets Receive: G D’Angelo Russell
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: F Ben Simmons
We figured we’d start off with something simple. Here, the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves swap floor generals with vastly different skill sets.
The biggest difference between them is, of course, shooting. D’Angelo Russell is knocking down 34.0% of his 8.0 three-point attempts per contest this season. That’s not an elite mark, but it’s a little better than the 0.0% on 0.0 attempts per game we can count on from Simmons.
On the other hand, Russell struggles on defense. He’s posting a -1.5 Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM) this season. Simmons has a career mark of 2.0: he’s one of the best defensive players in the league. Russell has always seemed to lack feel on that end of the floor, and his sub-elite athleticism doesn’t help.
A commonality between the two players is outstanding court vision. Simmons probably has Russell’s number in that area, but it’s close. At 6’10, Simmons has the height to see over defenders. His ability to run point at that size has always been the quality that’s made him special.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Latest Ben Simmons News Is Major Blow To Brooklyn Nets
The Wolves could seamlessly incorporate him if they added a stretch 4. Karl-Anthony Towns’ uniqueness as a shooter at the center position makes them uniquely qualified to incorporate a non-shooting guard like Simmons.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Latest Ben Simmons News Is Major Blow To Brooklyn Nets
They may not wish to do so at Russell’s expense. He is a close friend of Towns’. They may place too much value on that chemistry to make this deal. There may be other routes to landing Simmons, but rest assured they’ll be considerably more complicated.
