Sixers: 3 reasons to trade Ben Simmons for draft picks

3 reasons to trade Simmons for picks: They can be traded for a star in the future

These last two points lead to a sobering conclusion: at the moment, there are no Simmons trades that allow the Sixers to add a player who turns them into a championship contender.

However, there’s still one option that keeps that door open in the future: unloading Simmons for a boatload of draft picks and whatever players it takes to match salary.

This type of deal wouldn’t aim to turn the Sixers into immediate contenders. Instead, it’d be a waiting move, punting this season in the hopes that a legitimate title odds-mover demands a trade in the near future and the Sixers can remain positioned to make a compelling offer.

The Sixers will remain competitive as long as Joel Embiid is on the team, so it wouldn’t be a totally lost season if Simmons isn’t moved for an immediate contributor. But the ultimate payoff would come after the season if, perhaps, Damian Lillard asks out after another first-round exit or Bradley Beal becomes fed up with mediocrity in Washington. Or maybe a seemingly-untouchable superstar decides they want out; the NBA changes quickly.

When that blue-chip star becomes available, the Sixers would be able to put together a compelling offer: that boatload of picks, plus some of the team’s young talents like Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle. Then, if they wanted to go all-in, the option would still be available.

This move wouldn’t be without risk — it could prove foolhardy to give up on a year of Embiid’s prime, and there’s always the chance that a legit superstar never becomes available (or, when they do, the Sixers are outbid). But if the Simmons saga really is nearing an immediate end, swapping him for a load of picks gives the Sixers the best chance of eventually becoming championship threats in the near future.