The ongoing drama surrounding Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers is enough to make even the sappiest of soap opera writers blush. The two sides are currently mired in a staring contest with neither party wanting to blink first.
Simmons is coming off an historically bad postseason where he shot an abysmal 34.2% from the free throw line, good for the worst FT% in NBA playoff history for a player with at least 70 attempts. To put that in perspective, Shaq, widely viewed as the poster child for ineptitude from the free throw line has a career FT% of 50.4%.
The Simmons camp has already informed the Sixers that Ben won’t be reporting for training camp, and is likely to miss the entire preseason as well. Sitting out these portions of the 2021-22 season could result in Simmons being fined up to $1.3M. But for someone in only the 2nd year of a $177.2M contract, this seems like a relatively small price to pay if he’s able to force his way out of town.
The issue stems from the fact that Simmons wants to go to only a handful of teams around the league, and his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, has a track record of getting his clients where they want to go. On the other hand, Daryl Morey and Elton Brand of the 76ers aren’t just going to give Simmons away for cents on the dollar.
Thus far the two sides have been digging in and launching verbal grenades at one another through the media. Simmons is steadfast on finding a new place to call home, and Philadelphia is determined to get value on their investment, even if it means waiting until after the regular season tips off. With most of the offseason maneuvering already put to bed, the two sides may find themselves in a situation where there just isn’t a trade partner out there with the picks, cap space, and pieces necessary to facilitate a deal. That’s also saying nothing of whether that team would even be a city that Simmons wants to be dealt to.
The tepid trade market means Morey wants filet mignon and is getting dog kibble offers in return. Simmons would love nothing more than to go to the Clippers or Lakers but all is quiet on either of those trade fronts. And Philadelphia fans seem torn on whether they want to see Ben Simmons back in a Sixers uniform this fall or whether they’ll help him pack his things for the airport. Needless to say, it’s a mess in the city of brotherly love these days.
However, if both sides are willing to get creative, there could be some solutions out there which could see Philly recoup some value, and Simmons land in an appealing situation. Here are the top 5 trade scenarios that could wind up being win/wins for Simmons and the Sixers alike:
- Golden State: The “Simmons as a point guard” experiment is over. The only ones still holding out hope for it working out are Simmons and Klutch Sports, and even they might be beginning to see the light here as well. If Simmons were dealt to the Warriors, it could provide an intriguing way for Ben to slide over to a forward position, go to a preferred destination with a legitimate title shot, and save face in the point guard debate by throwing out statements like “when you have all world players like Steph and Klay, I’m more than happy to play a different role to help the team”.
Going back the other way, you’d have to include Wiggins just to get in the ballpark salary wise, draft picks, pick swaps, and some intriguing prospects like Wiseman or Kuminga. Are these positions that Philadelphia has a particular need at? Not really. But when faced with the proposition that their second best player could sit out the majority of the season and you wind up with a worse deal at the deadline, beggars can’t be choosers.
- Sacramento: Simmons initially balked at the idea of going to the Kings, but they’re actually one of the few teams in the NBA with the cap space and picks who could pique Morey’s interest in a trade scenario. Moreover, if Simmons went to Sacramento, he would immediately become “the man” while also enjoying the California lifestyle he seems to crave.
If the Kings offered De’Aron Fox, picks, pick swaps and some depth players to make the salaries work, is that enough to get it done? Philly desperately needs a point guard, and after missing out on the Kyle Lowry sweepstakes, De’Aron Fox could be the perfect compliment to Joel Embiid. It would also allow Embiid to live near the rim and end the madness of having him and Ben yo-yo-ing in and out of the paint for long looks that even the most optimistic of Sixers fans cringed at when they heaved them up.
- Toronto: Screw it, why not? The Raptors are in a strange place roster wise at the moment. After winning the title in 2019, Kawhi bolted for the west coast, followed by the most beloved Raptor of all time (Kyle Lowry) taking his talents to South Beach this year.
If Masai wants to get back to the top of the Eastern Conference anytime soon, the Raps are going to need to work some magic on the trade front. We’ve already seen NBA player’s reluctance to head north in the free agent market, so why not make a splash via trade like they did when they swung for the fences with the DeRozan/Leonard swap? Empty the cupboards and send Siakam, Flynn and a slew of picks and pick swaps to Philadelphia and see if Morey hangs up the phone on your offer.
Toronto appears to building a truly positionless team at the moment (they literally don’t have a single player who has even the faintest aroma of being an NBA centre currently), so why not lean in to the weird and go with a lineup of FVV, Gary Trent Jr., Ben Simmons, OG, and Scottie Barnes. Small ball it up, use your freakish length to your advantage. It would certainly make them one of the more intriguing teams to watch this season, and add a new “face of the franchise” to help soften the blow of losing Lowry.
- San Antonio: What do the Spurs really have going for them at the moment? Not a whole hell of a lot. We just mentioned how Toronto lacks star power, but they’re at least in the ballpark. San Antonio is the equivalent of those kayakers outside Oracle Park. Close enough, but unless someone hits a dinger into the bay they aren’t going to really be part of the action anytime soon.
Some critics have accused Simmons of being soft, not caring enough, or trying to look cool at the expense of on court production. If Ben were dealt to the Spurs, you could rest assured Popavich and co. would groom that out of him in a hurry.
The main issue here is what could San Antonio offer that would even start the conversation? The cupboard is pretty bare in Spurs land these days, but the fit if Ben were dealt to the lone star state is definitely interesting.
- Portland: If Simmons wasn’t enthused by the idea of going to the Kings in a state he’s openly admitted he would love to get traded to, then how would he feel about being dealt to Portland?
This is the one scenario Morey and the Sixers front office is hoping fully materializes in the coming weeks. If the Trail Blazers called and offered Damian Lillard for Ben Simmons, Morey would take that in a heartbeat.
The problem is why on earth would the Trail Blazers make this deal? Even if you put aside your opinions on Lillard and Simmons for a moment, Portland is a team currently stuck in a perpetual cycle of mediocrity. Good enough to make the playoffs, never good enough to truly contend for a title. Does swapping Dame for Ben suddenly make them title contenders? Absolutely not. In fact it’s hard to say it really moves the needle for them all that much to begin with.
The Trail Blazers keep being linked to Simmons because Morey and Lillard alike wouldn’t be upset if the trade somehow materialized. But unless there’s a third team willing to get involved to add some ingredients to the deal, Portland is likely better off just standing pat and hoping another franchise implodes and deals them a difference maker at the deadline.
While all these scenarios would certainly kick off the regular season with a bang, the situation we’re most likely to see play out is more of what we’ve already seen this summer: Ben posting open gym highlights to social media, and the Sixers acting like that one guy in your fantasy football league who offers you 2 back up players for Christian McCaffrey.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner