The Sixer Sense
Fansided

NBA Tanking Teams WIll Complicate Philadelphia 76ers 2016 Draft

By Bret Stuter

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; General view of the full first round draft board at the conclusion of the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; General view of the full first round draft board at the conclusion of the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 18, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett (21) walks to the bench with forward Andrew Wiggins (22) and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Target Center. The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Sacramento Kings 99-95. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 18, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett (21) walks to the bench with forward Andrew Wiggins (22) and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Target Center. The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Sacramento Kings 99-95. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

Minnesota Timberwolves are taking their time

They started the season with 4 win 2 loss burst that had many declaring that the Minnesota Timberwolves days of rebuilding were coming to a close.  They finished the 2013-2014 season with a 40 win effort, and followed that up by plummeting to the bottom of the NBA in the 2014-2015 season to land the top draft pick of 2015, Karl Anthony Towns. But the team had traded one of their top players, Kevin Love to join returning LeBron James in Clevelance in exchange for Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett.   Once more playing a role, the Philadelphia 76ers were involved with that trade, contributing Thaddeus Young and a $6,300,000 trade exception to the Timberwolves.   The Sixers netted guard Alex Shved, forward Luc Richard Mbah A Moute, and a protected first round draft pick of the Miami Heat.  The only element of the trade remaining in the Sixers possession is the Miami draft pick.

Minnesota did not keep their players either.   Bennett was waived by the Timberwolves, and immediately signed on with the Toronto Raptors.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves reversed course. Having giving up the rights to a first round pick for Thaddeus Young, the team subsequently opted to bail on the season for a full out tank and traded Young to the Brooklyn Nets for one-time Timberwolf Kevin Garnett.  Timberwolves president Flip Saunders then signed Garnett to a two year extension.   With Wiggins on the roster, the team added Towns to anchor the front court.   With Wiggins and fourth year Ricky Rubio in the backcourt, the team has a good core of young players to move forward.

But the Timberwolves should be better than their current record of 14 wins and 35 losses.  At just 16 games into the season, the team was playing at a .500 clip and the early success baited NBA fans into believing the team had assembled a winner.  But the team has only generated 6 wins since that time, while losing 23 games over that same 29 game period.  With the Timberwolves sputtering, and the Sixers improving,  it’s not unrealistic to see a Sixers team overtaking the Timberwolves before season’s end.

Next: Brooklyn Nets