The Ben Simmons trade talk is heating up. Marc Stein, who now does his reporting for Substack, added fuel to the fire on Tuesday, listing five teams who have expressed interest in the Sixers‘ three-time All-Star — Cleveland, Indiana, Minnesota, Sacramento, and Toronto. He also expects other teams to join the list.
A notable absentee is Portland. With the Damian Lillard situation in flux, Philadelphia could exercise patience and wait for him to (hopefully) ask out. Meanwhile, in an attempt to appease Lillard and bring about change, it’s well within reason for Portland to pursue a CJ McCollum-for-Ben Simmons swap.
Until then, these are the five teams most worth considering. Simmons is bound to have significant trade value, even after his second round flameout. He’s a three-time All-Star, with an All-NBA and two All-Defensive nods on his resume before he turns 25. The opportunity to lock him up through 2025 is appealing. The Sixers, conversely, cannot simply hand him away for scraps.
Here is the best realistic trade target from the five teams who have expressed interest in Simmons.
Sixers’ top realistic Ben Simmons trade target from Cavaliers: Darius Garland
While the availability of Collin Sexton has been widely speculated and subsequently reported, he’s not the best backcourt prospect in Cleveland. That title belongs to Darius Garland, who made big strides in his second NBA season. If the Cavs want to pry Simmons from Philadelphia, it would (ideally, if not likely) start with Garland.
Garland doesn’t quite have the volume scoring knack that Sexton does, but he’s a much more polished and willing playmaker. He creates for others, and already looks the part of a future All-Star at point guard. Sexton struggles to involve teammates, and if the Sixers are trading Simmons, it would be wise to get a player who can create for others as well as himself.
Last season, Garland averaged 17.4 points and 6.1 assists in 33.1 minutes per game. From 3-point range, he splashed home 39.5 percent of his 4.9 attempts per game. He’s a dangerous pull-up shooter, with excellent instincts in the pick-and-roll and the makings of a slippery downhill scorer.
A top-five pick in 2019, Garland has no shortage of pedigree and prestige to his name. He doesn’t get the same love as Sexton outside Cleveland, but he’s the better prospect, and more importantly, the better hypothetical complement to Joel Embiid. If the Sixers deal with Cleveland, Garland should be the key piece in return.
Cavs’ other notable assets: Collin Sexton, Isaac Okoro, Larry Nance Jr., #3 pick
Sixers’ top realistic Ben Simmons trade target from Pacers: Malcolm Brogdon
There’s a compelling argument for Caris LeVert, who is two years younger than Malcolm Brogdon and a more electric individual scorer. That said, with injuries are the primary reason, the Sixers should prioritize Brogdon is any future dealings with Indiana. Naturally, it has already been reported that Brogdon and a first-round pick were offered for Simmons — and declined.
Further complicating matters is the poor fit between Simmons and Indiana’s best player, Domantas Sabonis, who the Sixers could not hope to pair with Embiid. If the Pacers swap Brogdon and pieces for Simmons, then it would also be prudent to explore the Sabonis trade market. Or, perhaps a third team would get involved and take Sabonis, contributing more assets to help land Simmons in Indy.
In the end, Simmons does help the Pacers in their pursuit of postseason relevance. Even if his flaws are too great to ignore in the second round and beyond, the Pacers are not currently a second round team. Simmons is a tremendously impactful regular season player, and would immediately earn the mantle of Indiana’s top player — Sabonis or no Sabonis.
Brogdon averaged 21.2 points and 5.9 assists during Indiana’s tumultuous 2021 season. He’s a gifted shooter with a high basketball I.Q. and a rock-solid frame, which he puts to good use on defense. He’s as good a fit as any next to Embiid, with plenty experience playing off-ball and attacking closeouts.
Pacers’ other notable assets: Caris LeVert, T.J. Warren, Aaron Holiday, Justin Holiday, #13 pick
Sixers’ top realistic Ben Simmons trade target from Timberwolves: Malik Beasley
Let us operate under the assumption that Minnesota has no interest in trading Anthony Edwards, the reigning No. 1 overall pick whose late-season surge put him firmly in the Rookie of the Year debate. It has been reported that Minnesota will hold tight to D’Angelo Russell. If that’s the case, it’s safe to assume Edwards is off the table.
The next guy up is Malik Beasley, who yes, is not a very exciting name. In the past, we have dived deep into potential trade configurations with Minnesota, all of which have essentially required a third team. The Wolves do not have the assets straight-up, unless Minnesota mortgages its draft future.
That said, Beasley is not a nobody. He averaged 19.6 points last season, and is the kind of volume scoring wing who would have immediate utility in Philadelphia. He took 8.7 shots per game from deep, and hit them at a 39.9 percent clip. He can set the net ablaze and there’s no denying Philadelphia’s general need for bucket-getters on the perimeter.
On the other hand, Beasley is serving a jail sentence at the moment and has never come close to All-Star status, whereas Simmons is a three-time All-Star and one of the best three-level defenders in recent history. It would take Beasley and a whole heck of a lot more to pique Morey’s interest.
Timberwolves’ other notable assets: D’Angelo Russell, Ricky Rubio, Jarrett Culver, Josh Okogie, Jaden McDaniels, Juancho Hernangomez
Sixers’ top realistic Ben Simmons trade target from Kings: De’Aaron Fox
Easily the best name on this list, De’Aaron Fox is a player the Sixers should gladly consider in a potential Ben Simmons swap. He’s good enough to pique the interest of Portland or Washington if a bigger name asks out. And, he’s good enough to bolster the Sixers’ offense right away, and give them a much-needed closer late in games.
Fox doesn’t shoot the 3 at the same clip as Brogdon or Garland, nor does his percentage sit as high, but he’s a capable 3-point shooter who does attempt over five a game. He takes 3s, and makes them enough to command respect from defenses. That, combined with his playmaking chops, downhill scoring, and breakneck speed in transition, would make him a deadly co-star next to Embiid.
Part of Simmons’ value in Philadelphia has been his ability to push the tempo and dissect unset defenses on the fast break. That is an area in which Fox excels too. In fact, Simmons and Fox may very well be the two fastest open-court players in the NBA. Maintaining that element in Simmons’ absence is a serious incentive for Philadelphia.
Last season, Fox played the starring role well in Sacramento. He averaged 25.2 points and 7.2 assists per game. He would bring a different dynamic to the halfcourt offense, and keep the Sixers’ transition offense humming. He can spread the love to Philadelphia’s perimeter shooters, or work the two-man game with Embiid, either as a pull-up shooter or downhill driver. There’s a lot of like if the Kings are willing to swap stars.
Kings’ other notable assets: Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley III, #9 pick
Sixers’ top realistic Ben Simmons trade target from Raptors: Fred VanVleet
Feel free to pitch Pascal Siakam here, and the case is strong, but if the Sixers want to move on from Simmons, it has to be for meaningful dynamism on the perimeter. Siakam can shoot and score better than Simmons, and he’s quite the nifty defender at power forward, but the Sixers need table-setters. Fred VanVleet more cleanly.
Last season was not a banner year for VanVleet, who answered his new extension with a troublesome 38.9 field goal percentage. The 6-foot-1 guard struggled to lead the offense efficiently, especially with Kyle Lowry missing time to injury. Being away from Toronto all season clearly didn’t help anyone of that team either.
Given the oddity of the circumstances, it’s fair to write off 2021 as an aberration for VanVleet, who not long ago played a key role in the Raptors’ championship run. He still averaged 19.6 points and 6.3 assists, with a respectable 36.6 percent clip on 9.2 attempts per game from 3-point land. He would shift the chemistry of Philadelphia’s halfcourt offense in a good way.
VanVleet has spent much of the past few years sharing the court with Lowry. How he would operate as the Sixers’ main perimeter creator is something to consider and hypothesize about. In the end, he would still get plenty of opportunities off-ball, acting as a deep-range threat while Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris work from the middle of the floor. He’s the name to watch if the Raptors really want Simmons.