The Philadelphia 76ers came up well short of their goal of winning an NBA championship this season. Ranking high on the list is the lack of impact that Ben Simmons provided the team throughout the course of the series and especially in the 103-96 loss in Game 7.
When discussing whether the 76ers should trade Ben Simmons this offseason, one NBA executive made it clear he’d give the All-Star forward ‘one more year’ to improve in key areas. The exec added that rushing things is unwise since Simmons is a ‘mental midget’ with his lack of confidence.
“I’d give him one more year and work hard on his free throw shooting and offensive game over the summer,” one NBA executive told HoopsHype. “A pull-up mid-range jumper. His three-point shooting is a few years away if he ever gets it. You can’t rush things with him, he’s a mental midget right now with his shooting confidence. Not politically correct, but I couldn’t come up with anything else.”
There are attributes of Ben Simmons’ game that provide real value to a team. He’s a high-level perimeter defender that can guard multiple positions. It just has become increasingly difficult for the 76ers to overcome the weaknesses in his skill-set and the deteriorating tendencies he has shown as a scorer.
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If the 76ers do look to trade Ben Simmons this offseason, they would be doing so while his value is at an all-time low. He is coming off a 2020-21 campaign with averages of 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists while being named to the NBA All-Defensive First-Team.
It remains to be seen if Ben Simmons will end up getting moved via trade this offseason. In the meantime, he will be atop the list of names featured in NBA trade rumors.
