ON DEMAND: Derek Bodner Talks Sixers and a Possible Anthony Bennett Trade
Liberty Ballers’ and 97.3 ESPN Sixers insider Derek Bodner called into “The Sports Bash” with Mike Gill and Matt Segal on Thursday afternoon to discuss some of the rumors that the Philadelphia 76ers have been involved in. The big rumor in the wake of the Kevin Love to Cleveland report, is the rumor that would send Thaddeus Young to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“From everything I’ve read and everyone I’ve talked to, the Wolves do want Thaddeus Young,” said Bodner. “Now why exactly the Wolves would be targeting him, I’m not so sure. If you look at Thaddeus Young, his main complaint is that he’s on a rebuilding team so I can’t see him staying in Minnesota long term. So I’m not sure why they want him, but it seems like there’s a legitimate push to get him, so I think something will happen.”
Who would the Sixers possibly get in a Young deal? Maybe Anthony Bennett, who would be traded to Minnesota in the aforementioned Love deal, would be an option. Gill asked Bodner what kind of role Bennett would fill on the Sixers and how head coach Brett Brown would help his development.
“Well he(Brown) is a big player development guy and he’s a big fitness guy too and I think that’s as much of a key with Anthony Bennett than anything. Like you mentioned he had that soulder injury, he has that sleep apnea, and he was woefully out of shape and I think that really changed what he could do on a basketball court. A very big part of his game is using that outside shot, which he couldn’t hit all last year, but also using that outside shot to open up his dribble drive game and he can take a big man off the dribble.
“I think he’s a 4. I know he’s listed as a small forward, but I think his best role is as a 4 where he can pull a big man away from the hoop with his shot or he can still use his rebounding. On this team, he can get some serious minutes. In the long term, he will play next to Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, and if he can start hitting his shot then he would be a good fit next to either of those 2 big men. Theoretically, he will be a potentially good fit.”
The Love to Cleveland trade cannot be complete until August 23rd, because the player other than Bennett, first overall pick Andrew Wiggins, has a rookie contract that put a freeze on a Wiggins deal for 30 days that ends on the 23rd. So a Bennett to Philadelphia trade wouldn’t happen until after the 23rd of August.
Ky Carlin contributed to this report.
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