With the Philadelphia 76ers‘ playmaker Ben Simmons being one truly available All-Star this offseason, it’s not surprising that other FanSided NBA websites would jump in and create their own trades. Some of them came up with reasonable deals and some didn’t.
This is a reaction post to Dylan Jackson of Swarm and Sting recent article, where he came up with two possible trades that would send the 76ers defensive ace to the Charlotte Hornets. This article will grade each trade and then at the end, I will come up with my own Simmons trade to Charlotte.
Grading Hornets Simmons’ proposed trades: Deal number one
I don’t hate this first trade that Jackson wrote. This trade gives the Sixers players to win now and to win in the future with.
Getting Gordon Hayward, P.J. Washington, and two first round picks is a solid haul for the Sixers. The Sixers get a former All-Star in Hayward who looked like he did during his prime while on the Utah Jazz this past season. He’s a three-level scorer, playmaker, and defender. He’s not an athlete, and not great at creating his own shot, but he can be a great second or third option on a championship-level team.
Outside, of LaMelo Ball, Washington is one of the brightest young players on the Hornets roster. He’s never going to be an All-Star, but he has shown he can be a long-term starter as a stretch-four, who can occasionally play at center as well.
Getting two first round picks on top of that is not bad in terms of draft compensation. This might be one of the better deals that Charlotte could offer for Simmons and as a result, this will get a good grade.
Grade: B+