The Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns both have uncomfortable situations with star players, and maybe the best path is for them to help one another out.
The Nets haven’t committed long-term to Kyrie Irving, but perhaps the bigger question mark is Ben Simmons. He didn’t play at all last season for the Philadelphia 76ers or Nets, and at this point no one really knows what to expect from him. At his best though, he’s an elite defender who is a highly-talented playmaker on offense.
Meanwhile, in Phoenix, Deandre Ayton seems to be in the doghouse. He’s a restricted free agent who reportedly does not feel valued by the organization, as the Suns appear reluctant to meet his desire for a max contract. Head coach Monty Williams benched Ayton during the third quarter of their Game 7 against the Mavericks and the big man wouldn’t end up returning as they got waxed by Dallas. That further signaled the possibility that Ayton might well start next season elsewhere.
So, there's plenty of uncertainty. And as he kicked around trade destinations for Ayton on his “Lowe Post” podcast, ESPN NBA analyst Zach Lowe floated an interesting one.
"By the way, you know what would be a really fun fake trade? If one of the participants were healthy and playing basketball, is Ayton for Ben Simmons," Lowe said. "I’m just throwing stuff out. The Nets, as we all know, in Ben SImmons and Kyrie Irving, if either or both are on the team next year the gap between their talent and their trade value is bigger than any other player in recent NBA history.”
Of course, he’s not sourcing anything here, but it is interesting to think about.
For the Nets, it would allow them to make a safer play from a roster-building standpoint. Ayton is only 23 and already one of the top players at his position. His game isn't flawless, but he represents an upgrade at the position over what Brooklyn already has. Simmons is a major wild card, and while his style of play theoretically could bring out the best in Kevin Durant and Irving (if he stays), the Simmons experience in Brooklyn thus far might be incentive enough to make the move.
Of course, Simmons’ wild card status means the Suns might need some convincing. Perhaps the Nets would sell them on the fact that Simmons, having now gotten surgery, is expected to be ready in time for training camp. Further, maybe a move out of the Eastern Conference altogether could be beneficial. The Suns are stuck with Chris Paul for a while, and Simmons’ ability as a ball-handler and playmaker could help take some of the pressure off Paul.
It might be a gamble on Phoenix’s part, and they would need to figure out who would be their center since Ayton would be gone and Bismack Biyombo is a free agent. But maybe the idea of a starting unit that features Simmons, Paul, Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges could be tantalizing enough to take a risk if Ayton really is that unhappy.
In a vacuum, a Simmons-Ayton swap has the makings to be mutually beneficial. As we saw from the most recent Simmons trade though, that’s not always how it works, and the Suns would be well within their rights to hang up the phone quickly if Sean Marks ever broached the idea. But right now it feels like there's basically no market for Simmons, so who knows, if the Nets are somehow able to build a package that rids them of Simmons while getting an impact center, maybe they do it.
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