Post#2057 » by shrink » Thu Jun 24, 2021 2:33 pm
As much as I hate bringing up Ben Simmons, I had a thought that I felt I need to share.
I see no way that PHI can avoid trading Simmons this summer, for whatever they can get for him. There is a wonderful player inside of Simmons, but I don’t think he can get out of his own head if he stays on the Sixers. After his horrible meltdown in the playoffs, after Embiid threw him under the bus (“the game changed when Simmons threw that pass”), and after Doc Rivers didn’t stick up for him, I doubt he can regain his confidence in PHI.
On top of that, I think the trade board (not necessarily the national media) is vastly over-rating what Simmons will bring back in trade. Ben is 24, but he hasn’t grown his game in years, and I think we have to reconcile ourselves that he will never be even an average shooter. He also has a huge salary - he is owed $140 million over the next four years! A team offering value has to believe that Ben can regain his confidence on their team, and make a franchise-altering bet that he will do it for them.
When I make trades, I don’t just look for good players - I look for opportunities for players to have a substantially better value, so that both teams can win a trade. Right now, there is no place worse for Simmons to be than PHI. I have to admit though, MIN is probably one of the best fits. I have railed on about how Simmons lack of shooting handcuffs Towns and Edwards, making it harder for them to operate at the hoop, and I don’t take that back. However, Simmons becomes truly valuable if he can recover emotionally. Minnesota is maybe his best chance. There is less media pressure, and most fans will embrace him, or any increase in talent. But more importantly, he may benefit from spending the summer with his high school teammate D’Angelo Russell. If we can keep him, we also have a player in Ricky Rubio who is a bit of a “guard whisperer,” and has helped Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, and Ant all make big jumps by helping them on and off the court.
I am not saying I endorse a trade for Simmons. But I think the large change in value between PHi-Simmons and MIN-Simmons could allow both teams to find a price they like.