The Philadelphia 76ers‘ second-round loss was equal parts embarrassing and enlightening. There are no more excuses to hide behind. Oh, the Sixers were young. Oh, you lost to Kawhi, it happens. Oh, Ben Simmons was out. The Sixers looked every bit a fraudulent contender against Atlanta, and serious change is necessary because of it.
I am in the same boat as everyone else. The Ben Simmons experience has worn thin on even me, perhaps his most ardent supporter in this corner of the internet. I believe Ben Simmons is a better player than the one we saw against Atlanta. It’s clear this series took its toll mentally. Even so, yes, it is time to move on if the right trade is available. Simmons has reached the end of his line in Philadelphia.
With that said, there is a chance Simmons is back with the team next season. Whether he changes his shooting hand or not, it doesn’t really concern me. He will probably emerge in 2021-22 as a vastly similar player — one of the best defenders in the NBA, and a great transition playmaker who disappears from time to time. That is all good and well. Before his meltdown, most would have considered Simmons a top-30 NBA player and not thought twice of it.
Simmons needs to get better, and if anything is going to light the fire of change beneath the former No. 1 pick, this is it. Whether that change has any opportunity to manifest in Philadelphia, we shall see. I am personally skeptical of a massive overhaul in his game. He has given little reason for optimism on that front. Even so, the Sixers cannot simply hand him away. He is too good for trade for the sake of trading, even if it feels like he and only he is responsible for the Sixers’ epic flameout (simply not the case, for what it’s worth).
The Sixers need to be smart with Ben Simmons. His trade value will not get lower than this.
A lot of half-baked hypotheticals have been tossed around the Internet since the Sixers’ demise. While some trade targets are very appealing — Zach LaVine, CJ McCollum, Bradley Beal — but it’s fair to doubt Simmons’ ability to net that kind of return at the moment. Everyone, including the league’s GMs and owners, saw him implode on national television. Teams will try to low-ball Daryl Morey to death, and Morey is too smart a GM to take the bait.
The Sixers should wait for a reasonable offer to come around. They may not retrieve equal value, or equal talent, but Morey should at least make sure a perimeter creator of considerable talent is coming back in return, if not more. People listing D’Angelo Russell and Dillon Brooks as possible returns are living too gravely in the moment. Simmons is going to be better than just about every player offered this summer, and at some point, better fit cannot make up for a severe decrease in overall talent. I promise swapping Ben Simmons for D’Angelo Russell does not make the Sixers a better team.
If the Sixers have to wait until next season, when Simmons mounts another All-Star campaign and restores his street cred, then so be it. Wait and get a better return. Wait for the next superstar to ask out. Wait for the right move. This is not a “sooner than later” situation. There’s no benefit to trading Simmons on June 25 if you’re only getting pennies on the dollar. There’s a good chance the Sixers are forced to accept lesser value at some point, but Morey has to draw a line in the sand. Simmons is not so bad that he has to be given away like a broken toy to Goodwill.
A lot of teams would benefit from adding Ben Simmons, and giving up substantial pieces to get him. If that’s not the state of the market right now, then Morey should sit tight — no matter how eager and vociferous the fanbase — until the right move is there. Then, and only then, should he pull the trigger.