Although it’s possible the Sixers will trade Ben Simmons before the February 10 deadline, their preferred scenario would be to convince him to rejoin the team and play as much of the rest of the season as possible, a source familiar with Philadelphia’s thinking tells veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein.
Trading Simmons in the next month for the best available package would improve the Sixers’ chances of competing in the short term, but the team fears that taking that route may mean squandering an opportunity to land a true complementary star for Joel Embiid, says Stein. Convincing Simmons to play the rest of this season would improve the club’s short-term outlook while also leaving the door open for Philadelphia to make an offseason play for a star, should someone like Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal become available.
One league source who spoke to Stein suggested keeping an eye on the Hawks as a potential suitor for Simmons. Atlanta badly needs to upgrade its defense and president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk said this week that he plans to be active at the trade deadline in an effort to improve his struggling squad (Twitter link via Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
The Hawks don’t have the sort of trade candidate who would appeal to the 76ers as the centerpiece of a Simmons trade, but have several young players and draft picks they could put on the table, as Stein observes.
Here’s more from Stein:
- The Jazz considered the idea of trading Joe Ingles during the offseason, but decided against it due to concerns about how it would affect the team’s culture, says Stein. However, Danny Ainge has been hired by Utah since then and may be less reluctant to move Ingles if his expiring contract is necessary to land a defensive-minded wing.
- The Cavaliers continue to seek more play-making after acquiring Rajon Rondo from the Lakers, per Stein. Cleveland has lost two key guards – Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio – to season-ending injuries.
- According to Stein, teams are keeping a close eye on how the Trail Blazers handle Damian Lillard‘s abdominal injury, since an extended absence for the star point guard would likely impact Portland’s approach at the trade deadline.
- There has been an “undeniable uptick” in trade discussions around the NBA since the holidays, according to Stein, who identifies Myles Turner, Jerami Grant, Dennis Schröder, Eric Gordon, Terrence Ross, Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley III, Robert Covington, and Jusuf Nurkic as some of the players considered league-wide to be this year’s most likely trade candidates.
Blazers should definitely trade Nurkic and Covington. Doesn’t have to be together. They need to upgrade their defense and shooting in some way. Doesn’t have to be anyone huge.
Gallanari? Mamba? Bertans? Robinson or Noel? Love? Wood? Boucher? Any okay-solid wing defenders also for Covington. They are in need of an overhaul quickly.
They should start Nance as the center with Little at the 4.
My hornets should definitely look at Myles Turner. He seems to be a great fit. The interior defense is just so bad on this team that can score, but can’t stop anyone.
Portland 100% needs to shake up thing. Moving Nurk and/or RC wouldn’t be bad, but i think they need to move on from the Dame era. They are done and if they make the supermax extension they will be stucked for years to come. The right time is now, even if Dame value is at his lowest because of the injury.
They’ll trade or waive literally every one on that roster before they trade Dame. Portland is not a glamour destination and they will struggle mightily to attract another superstar there. They’d have to draft one, and that means probably a couple years of abject tanking and a lot of luck on top of it. Unless Dame demands out (which won’t be to Philly, believe me) I very much doubt he’ll be traded. But they can trade a bunch of other guys and completely re-build their roster around him.
Looks like Dame will stay if they commit to an albatross contract, but what’s the point for Portland to do that? They will be better tanking sooner than later, save money and hope to draft another great talent. They need to do something like OKC did when things got ugly, by the way OKC is 1 game away from a Portland team that was trying to win lol.
I tend to agree that Dame is the guy that Portland needs to move. He is about to make a ridiculous amount of money, and it appears he either doesn’t fit into Chauncy Bulillups system, or he is beginning the downside of his career. As a 76ers fan, he was my #1, 2, and 3 options in a Simmons deal, but I’m having some cold feet at this moment. I’d probably do Simmons & Springer for Dame, but Maxey, Thybulle and multiple 1st rd picks would be off the table now.
I think the 76ers ideal fit would be Jaylen Brown(maybe add Marxus Smart as well.i don’t foresee the 76ers and Celtics dealing with one another, so maybe the Celtics trade Brown and Smart to Indiana for Sabonis and LeVert, then Indiana flips Brown and Smart for Simmons and Danny Green?
Nurkic i think could be really solid on a team trying for a playoff run.
Teams such as the Wizards, Raptors or Mavs.
If he can find his form from 2016-2020, where he gets about 12 shots putting up about 15-10-3 that would be solid.
As a Sixers fan I’d rather we just move off Ben.
Lillard does make us better in the short run but would be a huge risk with him wanting that crazy extension and his fall off in form recently.
Bradley Beal would be great but with the Wizards actually playing competitive basketball this season I don’t think he will demand a trade and will stay.
Jaylen Brown would be awesome and my dream trade but it doesn’t even look like they are pursuing him.
Aside from these guys, we don’t need Fox cause we have Maxey. Don’t want Sabonis or siakim cause we have Harris and Embiid. Dont want any part of John Wall or Russ. Don’t want Kyrie cause he’s a radical.
Daryl Morey just needs to settle for less. Instead of thinking we need a co star next to Joel all we need is role players and young players. Tobias is playing at a near all star level, Maxey is developing into a future all star, Thybulle is an all defensive player. We don’t need an a list superstar next to Joel
It’s an interesting problem. I slightly disagree—I think Philly might need an All-NBA caliber player next to Joel, assuming Brooklyn can put their Big 3 on the floor at the same time. Most contenders have at least two true stars on the roster, not sure Embiid alone will get it done if a ring is the objective.
But to your point, it’s very murky as to who that player might be. I would vote Fox, even with Maxey’s improvement, but his performance has fallen off as much as Dame this season, and he’s only in his mid-20s. Is it just Sacramento, or is there another issue?
One name you didn’t mention is Harden—if Brooklyn disappoints in the postseason it’s not unfeasible that he could push for a S/T to Philly. He’s another one who’s play has dipped this year, so Brooklyn might be willing to roll the die on Simmons rather than extend him thru his mid-30s.
But a true dark horse here is Donovan Mitchell. Not at the deadline but in the offseason If Utah flames out again I think they’ll have no choice but to blow it up. Either Simmons + picks or a 3 team deal to get DM to Philly.
Mitchell is interesting but I doubt he is in a rush to leave, definitely a dark horse.
I would tend to agree that teams need multiple all stars to contend but say Maxey continues to improve next season and Tobias becomes a little more consistent then we could be looking at possibly three all stars and an all defensive player with Thybulle. That’s why I’m less hesitant to jump for an all star.
Id love Jaylen Brown, Embiid with Harris and Brown and Maxey that’s dope and that’ll last for many many years.
I like the idea of Bogi and Hunter for Atlanta but Hunters injury concerns and Bogis drop off in form is concerning.
But something of that ilk is what I would prefer. Young but good role player and potential to be an all star.
I think the big advantage of having Embiid is how tough of a match up he is. No one on the Nets can handle him, no one on the Wizards, Celtics, Knicks or Hornets can handle him.
The bucks are amazing defensively with Giannas Middelton and Holiday. The only way they lose is if you manage to shut down Giannas and make the offence rely on holiday and Middleton who we know can’t carry the load. The Heat have Bam down low and also have Butler, Oladipo (when fit), Lowry, Tucker etc etc they have the potential to be elite defensively but haven’t put it all together yet.
If Philly can add another quality young player I think it makes us really hard. Let’s just say Jaylen Brown. No team in the league could take Maxey Curry Brown Harris and Embiid defensively. Because it’s a great mix of handlers, shooters, inside and outside scoring. Defensively we would lack in the guards and we would be abit of a young and inexperienced side but I think on paper with Brown we would be favourites or very close.
That’s why I’d happily pay that little bit extra. Let’s say Ben Simmons, Korkmaz and 2 firsts for Brown and a second rounder.
Mitchell is definitely a dark horse. But if Utah doesn’t make a very strong run this Spring I think either he or Gobert has to go – and I’m not sure what Gobert’s market value will be.
But I agree with you 100% on Brown. Assuming Boston is a play-in team / 1st round exit again, I think they’ll have to give some serious thought as to what the ceiling is on a team built around Brown and Tatum.
Brown’s putting up his third straight 20PPG+ season, but the advanced metrics place him closer to a top 50 player than a top 25 All Star. So I think he’s one of those guys who’s probably not a franchise cornerstone (which he needs to be in Boston) as a situational star.
Having said that, in Philly I think he’d be the perfect fit between Embiid and Harris and Maxey and Curry.
From Boston’s POV, Simmons (in theory) is a better complement to Tatum – and when he actually wants to play he has a higher ceiling than Brown. It’s a trade that makes sense for both sides if/when Boston gets a tad more desperate.
Exactly glad someone agrees.
I think Simmons and Tatum could be a really elite duo.
It’s just about putting the right pieces around them too. Horford, Grant Williams and Nesmith I think would be a great start.
If you could get Korkmaz and a couple picks aswell then your well on track.
#FreeBenSimmons