After a disappointing end to the season, the Philadelphia 76ers are looking to trade Ben Simmons, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. With trade talks underway, here are three possible Ben Simmons trade scenarios.
Washington Wizards
Philadelphia’s goal seems to be to get an elite scoring guard to play with Joel Embiid in exchange for Simmons. Of all the realistic possibilities the best option is without a doubt Washington’s Bradley Beal. For this trade to happen, Beal would need to ask out of Washington, which at this point he has not done. However if Beal does become available, putting him with Embiid changes the entire dynamic of the Sixers offense and could unlock the best parts of both players games. The Wizards on the other hand would be getting a fresh start to rebuild around Simmons and some of their other young pieces such as Deni Avdija and Rui Hachimura. The Wizards would also likely move on from Russell Westbrook in this scenario.
Portland Trail Blazers
A trade that centers around flipping Simmons for Portland’s CJ McCollum theoretically solves problems for both teams. The Blazers get a versatile wing defender they have been missing for years, as well as a solid rebounder and playmaker in transition. Additionally, putting Simmons with Damian Lillard would allow both players to concentrate solely on what they do best, Lillard can score and run the offense without worrying about defense while Simmons can carry the load defensively and not have as much pressure to score and create offense. Philadelphia would get the scoring guard that they have been looking to pair with Embiid for his entire career. Ideally, the 76ers would like to get Portland’s Damian Lillard in a package for Simmons but it doesn’t seem likely that he will become available this offseason. With both teams looking to shake up their rosters without completely tearing them down, a trade between the two seems possible.
Toronto Raptors
It’s seeming more and more likely that Raptors guard Kyle Lowry will be on the move this offseason and a possible sign-and-trade between Toronto and Philadelphia seems like a decent possibility. Though at 35 years old, Lowry may not be as valuable as an asset, he can still be a difference maker on a team like the Sixers. Lowry can still score the ball efficiently and is one of the best playmakers that could be available this offseason. Not only would Lowry’s skillset be valuable but his mindset and toughness would be a great addition to the culture the Sixers are trying to build. For Toronto, Simmons would fit into the Raptors’ young core and be coming into one of the best player development teams in the league including a fantastic coach in Nick Nurse.
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