Theoretical Ben Simmons trades are the talk of the Philadelphia 76ers’ fan base right now, and for good reason.
As good as he’s been at times, Simmons had an abysmal offensive series against the Atlanta Hawks and lots of fans saw him passing up a wide open dunk as the last straw with this team. After scoring 14 points per game through the regular season, he averaged under 10 a game against Atlanta and only took three shots in the fourth quarter throughout the series. He seemed even more timid than usual and was trying to avoid contact out of fear of going to the foul line.
Ben Simmons seems as good as gone from the Sixers.
Since Doc Rivers offered him lukewarm support after their loss, trade machines the world over have been getting bombarded with hypothetical Ben Simmons destinations. The 76ers’ championship window is open right now, and if Simmons can’t figure out his offensive woes this summer then the team will have to move in another direction.
The difficult part is evaluating his value after a very tumultuous season. As bad as he has been offensively, he’s still only 24 years old and is coming off of his third All-Star season and his second All-Defensive season. In the right situation he could still grow into a top 10 player, but the 76ers don’t have time to wait for Simmons to develop his offensive game any longer.
Earlier this week I detailed three possible trades that I considered realistic, which made sense for both sides and involved swapping stars. Here I’ll explore some trades that might not seem obvious to everyone, but make enough sense for both sides that they wouldn’t shock me.
Surprise Ben Simmons trades: Sixers acquire Gordon Hayward
Starting off with a bang. This is the star swap no one is talking about but could make a ton of sense for all involved. Gordon Hayward was in the midst of a fantastic season before a foot injury took him out of the lineup in April. He finished the season averaging almost 20 points per game, six rebounds, and four assists. He also shot over 40 percent from beyond the arc for the third time in his career, and proved a ton of people wrong (myself included) that thought he was on his last legs after leaving Boston and considered his contract a huge overpay.
The timelines match up a lot better for both teams after the swap. Hayward is 31 and has had injuries throughout his career, so him waiting around for the young Charlotte core doesn’t seem feasible. On the flip side, Ben Simmons is only 24, which matches up perfectly with LaMelo Ball (19), P.J. Washington (22), and Devonte’ Graham (26). After this trade, Simmons could develop out of the spotlight in Charlotte over the next year or two before they expect to seriously compete. Hayward could use the last few years of his prime to compete for a championship in Philadelphia.
On court this makes a lot of sense for both sides. Charlotte has been begging for an answer at center, and Simmons could slide in to complete a great small-ball lineup. This would also make Charlotte one of the more fun League Pass teams, with Ball and Simmons moving the ball around a ton and crushing teams on the break.
Hayward has been criminally underrated on his ability to orchestrate offense, a role the Celtics sorely missed without him this season. He is a great creator in the halfcourt and would solve the Sixers’ biggest need. Philly’s defense would take a hit, but Hayward would more than make up for it on offense .
Ultimately Philly might ask for a little more in return, perhaps P.J. Washington or Miles Bridges, but Daryl Morey should seriously consider this option.
Surprise Ben Simmons trades: Sixers acquire Malcolm Brogdon
This is my favorite Ben Simmons trade, because it would be such a shock but probably makes both teams better. Indiana, on paper, is one of the more talented teams in the league, with high end talent all over the lineup in Myles Turner, Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert, and T.J. Warren. As good as their players are, it hasn’t translated to wins and the franchise finished under .500 for the first time since 2014-15. Amidst reports of locker room turmoil, trade requests, and elective surgeries, it’s clear that Indiana needs to change something up this offseason. This trade would be a great place to start.
The real question here is whether Brogdon is the right person to move. Certainly he would be the ideal target for Philly, who could absolutely use the shot creation and shooting he provides. The Pacers need to decide if the problem is their defense or their logjam at center. Either way, the Pacers would still have enough shooting around Simmons for him to be successful, and he would solve their biggest issue which is perimeter defense.
Brogdon is a great fit on this Sixers team as a smart, savvy ball handler. He also scored over 21 points per game last season to go along with his six assists and five rebounds, and he’s an underrated defender. With two years and $44 million left on his contract, he’s a great value, and Jeremy Lamb would have to be included in order to make the salaries match (assuming Indiana wants to keep T.J. Warren), but that’s not the worst thing for Philly. Lamb is going to be an expiring contract worth $10.5 million which can easily be flipped into a solid roleplayer by tacking on a young player or pick.
Someone please get in Morey’s ear and convince him to make this trade happen.
Surprise Ben Simmons trades: Sixers acquire Buddy Hield, Tyrese Haliburton
Buddy Hield has long been rumored to be on the 76ers’ radar, but his contract makes him difficult to move with three years and over $60 million remaining. While his reputation as a volume shooter is well earned, he took a step back last season in efficiency on a team that had nonstop problems on the court and off.
Meanwhile, Tyrese Haliburton is coming off a phenomenal rookie season in which he averaged 13 points per game and shot over 40 percent from deep. It might be difficult for Sacramento to trade him, but they might not have much choice if they want to start moving toward playoff contention. The Kings have way too many small guards already, so getting rid of two for a 6-foot-10 lockdown defender in Ben Simmons makes sense.
This is a way for Sacramento to send De’Aaron Fox a message that they are serious about getting him help, and Simmons would cover up for a lot of their deficiencies. Namely, they just finished dead last in defensive rating and opponent eFG%, so their defense is in need of some serious help sooner rather than later. Fox is incredibly talented on offense, but he is a huge negative on defense. This would kill two birds with one stone, jettisoning two negative defenders and bringing back this year’s runner-up for DPOY. Right now Sacramento has no one to put on a team’s best scorer, a role which Simmons is more than qualified for.
For Philadelphia, this is probably a huge win for them. In Hield they get another high volume shooter who can expect his efficiency to go up with the wide open looks Embiid will provide. This trade means they let Danny Green go in free agency, or choose to re-sign him and move Seth Curry to the bench. Either way, Embiid is going to be surrounded by more elite shooters than any other point in his career. Tyrese Haliburton is an excellent creator and ball handler who would add a ton of juice to Philly’s offense.
This would create some issues with Philly’s defense, particularly having such a weak backcourt, but Embiid is a solid defensive centerpiece and they still have Matisse Thybulle able to come off the bench and chase talented scorers.