The 76ers seem to be serious about shopping Ben Simmons. They’ve opened up trade discussions surrounding the three-time All-Star, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, who says interest in the league around Simmons remains “robust.”
With an opening at point guard, the Celtics appear to be a great fit.
As we’ve mentioned before, there would be complications with any deal involving Simmons and the Celtics. For starters, the Sixers and Celtics are rivals in the Eastern Conference, and both are trying to break through with their young All-Stars. Simmons also carries a hefty five-year, $177 million deal.
Oh yeah, and there’s also his shooting. Simmons attempted just three fourth-quarter shots in Philadelphia’s dreadful loss to the Atlanta Hawks. In Game 7, he infamously passed up an open dunk.
But the fact remains: Simmons is an awesome facilitator and defender. It’s also clear Brad Stevens isn’t afraid to shake up this roster. His first act as general manager was jettisoning Kemba Walker out of town.
The cost to acquire Simmons will probably be steep. Charania reports the Sixers are seeking an All-Star caliber player in return for the 2016 No. 1 pick, who just turned 25 this month. In addition to three All-Star appearances, Simmons was an All-NBA team member in 2019-20, is a two-time All-Defensive first-team member and took home Rookie of the Year Honors.
It’s rare this kind of player becomes available, shooting yips aside.
With that said, the Celtics may have to include Jaylen Brown in a deal for Simmons, especially if several other teams are involved. While that idea might be unpopular, Brown didn’t mesh with Jayson Tatum on the court last season. During a recent appearance on OMF, NBA insider Jeff Goodman said it looks like Brown and Tatum have “never played together before.”
Tatum and Simmons have complimentary skill sets and could work well together. Here is our latest trade proposal:
Celtics get: Ben Simmons
Sixers get: Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard
This trade wouldn’t mean the Celtics are done dealing, either. Simmons’ presence would make Marcus Smart expendable, and he has an expiring contract.
Smart for a shooter sounds like a pretty good addendum to this deal. Those two trades would make the Celtics a better team.
What do you think?