Despite trade rumors seemingly dying down of late, it still appears that both Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers are still pursuing a trade away from Philly for the former Rookie of the Year. The Minnesota Timberwolves have been heavily linked to a swoop for the Sixers' want-away star, but at this point, there appears to be a huge stumbling block that's standing in their way.

According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the only way he sees a Simmons-to-Minnesota deal happening is if the Timberwolves are somehow able to include a third team in the deal. Needless to say, this isn't going to be an easy task for Minnesota's front office:

“I’m told they’re continuing to talk to teams, Minnesota is one of the most interested teams in Ben Simmons, but a package with them would require a third team and those deals aren’t easy so what I would expect is a climax to this situation to occur closer to the start of training camp because that’s when there’s going to be pressure,” Shams said, via Cy Carln of USA Today.

The Timberwolves could definitely benefit from a player of Ben Simons' caliber. Simmons taking over playmaking duties could lead to significant improvements for the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards. What will this mean for D'Angelo Russell, though?

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Shams also stated that he expects trade talks to heat up towards the start of training camp. The Sixers could be unwilling to start camp with Simmons still on the team (and the feeling is mutual), so this could force Philly's hand. Whether or not Ben Simmons ends up in Minnesota remains to be seen.