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Thaddeus Young has been involved in trade rumors for nearly a year now, and has been tied to the Minnesota Timberwolves for nearly a month. While the reported return package may have changed, one thing is official: Young will be a member of the Timberwolves.
The deal cannot be official until Saturday, but Woj has the full details:
As @JerryZgoda 1st reported, Minny's Luc Mbah a Moute, Alexey Shved and Heat '15 1st-rounder go to 76ers for Thad Young. Deal done Saturday.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) August 22, 2014
We'll have more on this trade in the coming days, but a couple hot takes:
- The goal was to get a first rounder for Young, and they've accomplished that. The pick, coming from Minnesota via Cleveland from Miami, is protected 1-10 in 2015, so Philadelphia will almost certainly receive it in this year's draft. In all likelihood it will be a pick in the low 20's, but that Heat team is led by two guys (Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng) with some serious health concerns. They could drop off the face of the earth real quick if those two go down. With that said, I think Anthony Bennett probably would have been of much more value to this team than a late first.
- Mbah a Moute happens to be Joel Embiid's mentor, and helped him make the decision to turn pro. It'll be good to unite the two of them to help Embiid adjust, even if it is just for one season. It doesn't hurt that LRMAM is a hell of a perimeter defender either.
- Alexey Shved is some hot trash but this team needs two guards and he fits the bill. He showed some promise his rookie season, but crashed real hard last year. Philadelphia is a perfect opportunity for him to show his worth, however.