Despite what some may think, Philadelphia does have a market for their point guard. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, up to 12 NBA teams are interested in trading for Ben Simmons this offseason.
”In talking to executives around the league, there’s a lot of interest in Ben Simmons. If he was made available on the market today, there would be maybe up to a dozen teams would make offers.”
Brian Windhorst
Trade rumors surrounding the three-time all-star have been around for a while now. The sudden urgency about it these days stems from his performance in the 76ers series loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Simmons struggled to produce on the offensive end. While he still stood as the lead playmaker, his inability to score loomed largely, and Atlanta took advantage of that as often as they could. But, even with that, what truly sunk Simmons’ position on the team was his performance in game seven. Simmons had become so passive that he appears to avoid taking shots at crucial moments.
For many people, this was the last straw. As questions about the fit between Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons have stood for years, this game likely indicated the end. Since their last game, similar reads have come from Joel Embiid, head coach Doc Rivers, and team president Darryl Morey. Not to intentionally criticize Simmons, but to recognize and express that they needed more from him. Morey, in particular, has given more credence to the idea of trading Simmons. When asked whether Ben will return to the team, Morey said that “none of us can predict the future.”
Who Is trading for Ben Simmons?
Obviously, there is more to Ben Simmons than what we saw in the Atlanta series. Despite his limits, he remains an elite passer and defensive playmaker. Should he get traded, maybe the team in pursuit would better position him to thrive on the offensive end.
One team that comes to mind is the San Antonio Spurs, who haven’t had a true franchise player since Kawhi Leonard’s departure. Maybe the Golden State Warriors, whose draft lottery fortune has left them with two lottery picks this year. The Dallas Mavericks could look into moving Kristaps Porzingis for Simmons. There’s plenty of potential landing spots for Ben Simmons this offseason. Whether a trade actually materializes soon, we’ll have to wait and see.
