Two trades the Philadelphia 76ers should consider before the season starts
Since the end of the 2020-21 NBA playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers have been desperately looking to trade Ben Simmons and fast!
After playing some of the worst basketball in his entire career, Simmons was the biggest flop of the 2020-21 NBA playoffs and arguably the season. Simmons was on auto-pilot, from constantly missing critical free throws to infamously deciding to pass the ball instead of scoring. His lack of ambition to score the basketball is one of the primary reasons the 76ers lost, as he was unable to score the basketball. His performance in the playoffs resulted in the organization feeling indifferent about Simmons, including head coach Doc Rivers.
In an interview with Rivers, he was asked if Ben Simmons could be the primary point guard to win a championship, to which he responded, "I couldn't tell you." When looking at the entirety of the drama that is still happening, the root cause of Ben Simmons dismissal of the organization is from this very quote. If a player's head coach is talking down their player, how and why would that player still want to play with that organization? Rivers should have never answered that question to the press unless it is clear that relations are unfixable, which most likely happened between Simmons and the 76ers during the playoffs.
The drama continuing to spew in Philadelphia is unfortunate and heart-breaking as "the process" is officially over. The duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid will go down in the history books as one of the biggest championship failures the NBA has ever seen. While fingers can be pointed in every direction, basketball is a team game first. When it came down to coming together as a team at its lowest point, the 76ers miserably failed.
Despite "The Process'' being a useless relic of wasted potential, the 76ers can still rectify their organization depending on, ironically, Ben Simmons. By Simmons requesting a trade months ago, the 76ers have a chance to improve their many weaknesses. Their defence has always been something that the 76ers should be proud of, but shooting the basketball and play-making are some aspects that need improvement. While many trade offers have surfaced, none of them managed to fit the value that general manager Daryl Morey has for Simmons.
The reality is, finding a trade that matches Simmons's actual value in the NBA is impossible at this point, considering that his value is at an all-time low. However, the 76ers can still gain an All-Star, borderline All-Star or a few good role-players in exchange for Simmons. Let's dive into some offers that Daryl Morey should consider.
1. A Guard For A Guard
Trade:
Philadelphia 76ers receive- CJ McCollum
Portland Trailblazers receive- Ben Simmons
Projected starting five after this trade:
Philadelphia 76ers
Pg-Tyrese Maxey
Sg- CJ McCollum
Sf- Matisse Thybulle
Pf- Tobias Harris
C- Joel Embiid
Portland Trailblazers
Pg- Damian Lillard
Sg- Norman Powell
Sf- Ben Simmons
Pf- Robert Covington
C- Jusuf Nurkic
The Portland Trailblazers and Philadelphia 76ers have more similarities than you think. Both teams have received turmoil for their playoff performance this past season and need to make significant roster changes, ideally before the season starts. While Damian Lillard has been rumoured to be traded countless times during this off-season, he is not the central focus of this trade. CJ McCollum, who had a break-out season before being injured, is feasible for the 76ers to trade for without giving up any of their future assets.
The main reason the Blazers and 76ers should do a complete guard swap is due to how great a fit it would be for both organizations and their direction. For the 76ers, having a player like Joel Embiid insinuates that they want to contend and not rebuild, especially when they have extended him. By trading for McCollum, it gives the 76ers a 20-plus point-per-game scorer and a direction Philly has never seen. The Blazers benefit from this trade as they have lacked an explosive point-forward during the Lillard era and have needed a player like Simmons more so than McCollum. The defensive upside, athleticism, and play-making are what Portland has been missing at the small forward position for years. Unless Lillard is unfazed by a trade like this, Simmons will likely become the starting small forward on the Blazers.
2. A New Duo Forms In The Six
Trade:
Philadelphia 76ers receive- Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, 2023 unprotected second-round pick and 2025 unprotected second-round pick.
Toronto Raptors receive- Ben Simmons.
Projected starting five after this trade:
Philadelphia 76ers
Pg-Tyrese Maxey
Sg- Fred VanVleet
Sf- OG Anunoby
Pf- Tobias Harris
C- Joel Embiid
Toronto Raptors
Pg- Ben Simmons
Sg- Gary Trent Jr
Sf- Scottie Barnes
Pf- Pascal Siakam
C- Khem Birch or Precious Achiuwa
Unlike the Portland Trailblazers trade, the Toronto Raptors would need to trade more assets to attain Ben Simmons. A Fred VanVleet for Simmons swap is not enough as the contracts and player values do not align. The addition of OG Anunoby is something that Toronto would be hesitant to include at first but, after further consideration, would proceed as they have many forwards, including rookie Scottie Barnes. The reality is, the Raptors no longer need Anunoby as they have a brighter prospect in Barnes.
The 76ers benefit from this trade as they receive a relatively young but competitive package for Simmons. In addition, Anunoby and VanVleet also add playoff and finals experience, which is precisely what the 76ers need. For Toronto, they receive defence, play-making and a new beginning at the guard position. The duo of Siakam and Simmons may appear to be clustered; however, Nick Nurse will find a way to grow Toronto's new duo, unlike Doc Rivers.
Closing thoughts
While more trades could come up as better suitors, the Toronto Raptors and Portland Trailblazers have the best assets to give when it comes to breaking the needs of the 76ers. It's sad to see Simmons having this low trade value, especially when factoring in his potential in the NBA. Simmons is literally a jump-shot away from being a superstar in the NBA.