Ben Simmons trade roundtable: Sixers, Raptors, Kings swap guards
PROPOSED BY: ALEXANDER INSDORF
Sixers also receive: Two Kings first-round picks, one Raptors second-round pick
It’s worth starting out by saying no Ben Simmons trade is perfect, unless we’re talking about Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal wanting out. But in the spirit of being realistic, the best move the Sixers can make for the time being is a lateral move.
President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey has made it very clear that he is star hunting for someone like the aforementioned Lillard. The problem with that is Lillard seemingly isn’t ready to demand a trade… yet. Based on all the noise, I do think that Dame eventually does request a trade from Portland, whether it’s tomorrow, during the 2021 season, or next offseason. If the Sixers can’t trade for a superstar right now, the best move is a lateral one.
The Kings receive Simmons and get a star to pair with De’Aaron Fox. Aside from Portland and Golden State, the Kings have been one of the most talked about Simmons destinations. With Fox running point there, Sacramento can have some flexibility in converting Simmons to a SF/PF type of role. In a lineup with Fox, Harrison Barnes, and Tyrese Haliburton, No. 25 wouldn’t need to create quite as much of his own offense. The Kings also need better defensive play, and acquiring both Simmons and Davion Mitchell in the same offseason would be a start.
The Sixers could theoretically do this as a straight up two-team deal with the Kings, but a three-team deal is more logical for the time being. No offense to Marvin Bagley, but he’s just not a great fit for Philadelphia given their current roster construction. Bagley gets dealt to the Raptors as the third team and the Sixers throw in Shake Milton. I considered throwing in Furkan Korkmaz to Toronto for this trade, but that wouldn’t be possible until Jan. 14, 2022 given the trade restrictions on his new deal.
With the Raptors in a retool/rebuild, they get to see what Bagley does in the final year of an expiring rookie contract in addition to Shake’s potential on a really cheap contract.
Philadelphia has been linked to Buddy Hield ever since 2019 and it’s easy to see why. No, Hield isn’t a superstar, but he’s a career 40+ percent 3-point shooter. The defense is lacking a little bit, yet that can be mitigated on a team with Danny Green, Matisse Thybulle, and Joel Embiid. Tyrese Maxey showed some great defensive growth too. Goran Dragic is a pretty good perimeter creator on an expiring contract that can help the Sixers in some bench configurations this year for sure. At least I tend to think he’s a more natural fit offensively than say George Hill was.
The most important thing about this trade in my opinion is that the Sixers keep their options open. Hield and Dragic can help the team in the interim as they compete for the East. Two Kings’ first rounders is more trade ammunition for when a Lillard, Beal, or other star option does become available. Any Simmons trade that doesn’t land a superstar has to keep the cupboard of assets full for when one does become available.