The link between Andrew Wiggins and the Philadelphia 76ers seems to never end. When Wiggins becomes eligible to be traded on Saturday, he is expected to be moved from the team that drafted him number one overall, the Cleveland Cavilers. There are several dominoes to fall, with the biggest uniting Kevin Love in Cleveland with LeBron James.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, another one of the dominoes to fall will land in Philadelphia. Wojnarowski is reporting that Philadelphia will trade veteran Thaddeus Young to the Timberwolves in exchange for a 2015 first round pick, and role players Luc Mbah a Moute and Alexey Shved.
The first round pick, the prized haul in the return, belongs to the Miami Heat. Cleveland is sending the pick to Minnesota, which the Cavs initially acquired as part of the James sign-and-trade. Joining Wiggins in going from Cleveland to Minnesota is countryman, fellow first overall pick and friend Anthony Bennett. Many had reported that the Sixers stood a chance to acquire Bennett, rather than the draft pick.
Mbah a Moute, a forward, is a prince in Cameroon. According to Wojnarowski, he has a long-standing relationship with Sixers first rounder Joel Embiid, and the Sixers value him as part of the development of his fellow countryman. Shved, 25, is a two-year veteran and averaged four points off the bench last season for the T-Wolves. Both players have expiring contracts and Shved is eligible to receive a qualifying offer after this upcoming season.
Ultimately, the Sixers are getting the most value for Young they can get, or at least what General Manager Sam Hinkie projects as the best value. Last season, he was not able to trade Spencer Hawes or Evan Turner until a few weeks before the season’s end. By trading Young to a team that can utilize him for a full year, he likely got more than he would have if he waited.
Young was likely to be the team’s leader in scoring, so the tank becomes even more substantial. Together we build.
