NBA Insider Shams reported that the Sixers have begun engaging in trade talks with multiple teams about the possibility of trading Ben Simmons.
The Sixers have reported asking for an all-star caliber player in return for Simmons and contacted by several teams.
The teams reported so far are the Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Indiana Pacers.
Based on these teams listed and the players that really would be involved in the deal, let’s rank which trades make the most sense for the Sixers.
1) Sacramento Kings
All-Star Caliber Player: De’Aaron Fox
While Fox has not cracked the all-star game just yet in the western conference, he is clearly the only player on the Kings that would fit the Sixers criteria. Fox is an explosively athletic guard who has consistently improved his all-around game each year in the league. Last year Fox averaged 25.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 7.2 assists. He is also a solid defender and someone that Sixers fans have wanted since the 2017 draft. Fox is an ascending player with great potential that has been getting wasted in Sacramento.
I think this trade makes the most sense for the Sixers to make and will benefit both sides. The Kings have a team full of shooters like Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton, which Simmons could create open looks for, while the Sixers receive a playmaking guard ready to make an immediate impact. Fox will provide the Sixers with another player who can create his own shot and find open teammates, plus he would be a great pick and roll partner with Embiid. This trade would also allow the Sixers to move Simmons to the Western Conference, which would prevent them from playing against him more often.
2) Minnesota Timberwolves
All-Star Caliber Player: D’Angelo Russell
D’Angelo Russell was an all-star in the Eastern Conference just 2 seasons ago with the Brooklyn Nets and even faced off against the Sixers in the playoffs. He would provide the Sixers with many of the things that I just mentioned Fox would bring, but Russell has an injury history that is concerning. Since he has left the Nets, he has had trouble consistently staying on the court, but he is still an offensive weapon that would greatly benefit the Sixers when he can stay healthy. Russell averaged 19 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists last year in Minnesota, where he was the second or third option on offense.
Russell has already played with an elite center like Karl Anthony Towns, making him figure out his role with Embiid quicker than some other possible players. Like the Fox one, this trade moves Simmons to the Western Conference and away from teams the Sixers will be competing against in the playoffs. I still take Fox over him because of Fox’s noticeable advantage defensively and because of Russell’s reputation as a teammate in the past.
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3) Toronto Raptors
All-Star Caliber Player: Fred VanVleet
VanVleet has not reached the all-star game in his career with the Raptors yet, but he has had some elite playoff performances and would bring more championship experience to the Sixers. While VanVleet was a bench player for the Raptors team that won a championship, he was still a vital player in their championship run and has increased his role since then. He has since become a starter and now averages 19.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. He played great for the Raptors last year and would be another great pick and roll partner with Embiid.
Like Russell, he would definitely be much more of a defensive liability than the Sixers have now because of how undersized he is. The other issue with this trade is that Simmons would end up on the Raptors, and the Sixers would then have to face him for years to come in the playoffs. It is always better to move him to the opposite conference, which is why I have this trade ranked slightly below the Russell trade.
4) Indiana Pacers
All-Star Caliber Player: Malcolm Brogdon or Caris LeVert
We already know that the Pacers offered Brogdon and a first-round pick for Simmons last week and were declined by the Sixers. This would lead me to believe that Brogdon would not be enough for the Sixers to make a move but does not rule out the Pacers from the Simmons sweepstakes. The Pacers’ other all-star caliber player that would fit the Sixers’ needs would clearly be Caris LeVert. LeVert is an elite offensive talent that has shown glimpses of greatness in Brooklyn and now Indiana. He is a shifty combo guard that would provide the Sixers with elite shot-making and playmaking abilities. LeVert averaged 20.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists last year with a new team and coming off a cancer diagnosis earlier in the season.
I love the idea of LeVert on the Sixers, but I do not believe Indiana would move him after just trading for him last year. He has so much potential to be a great scorer in this league, and the Pacers are clearly more likely to be trying to move Brogdon. Because of the Sixers already showing their limited interest in Brogdon, I do not see this trade happening, so it is ranked this low on the list.
5) Cleveland Cavaliers
All-Star Caliber Players: Kevin Love, Collin Sexton, or Darius Garland….?
This is definitely the worst trade option out of the teams listed because I am unsure of their ability to be all-stars. Kevin Love is well past his prime and wouldn’t really fit with how the Sixers are presently constructed. Garland and Sexton both have potential, but not sure if that potential is all-star level. If the Sixers view Malcolm Brogdon as below their threshold of what qualifies as a good enough player, there is no way this trade works for them. Maybe there is some three-team trade where this all works out, but I see this one as the least likely to happen.
Cavaliers also have the 3rd overall pick in this year’s draft, providing them with even more value to give the Sixers that they could then use or trade away for a player they consider to be more than just an all-star player.
Featured Image: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images
The post Morey Moves: Best Trade Pieces From Teams Interested in Simmons appeared first on Philadelphia Sports Nation.
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