The Philadelphia 76ers will have some tough decisions to make this offseason, with of those decisions being what to do with Ben Simmons moving forward. Many believe that the franchise will look to trade their struggling star. If that is the route they choose to go, the Golden State Warriors sound like a very likely trade destination for him.
According to a report from ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, the Warriors are expected to make a push to acquire Simmons from the 76ers.
“I believe the Golden State Warriors are going to make a push for Ben Simmons, so keep your ears tuned, stay tuned. It’s possible Ben Simmons could end up in Golden State.”
Simmons heading to the Warriors has been something that has been talked about over the last couple of years. It is believed that he would fit perfectly alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. He would certainly give them a brand new wrinkle to their offense and defense.
During the NBA Playoffs, it was clear that Simmons had lost his confidence. He passed up open looks and wasn’t aggressive at all on the offensive end of the court. However, there are still many around the NBA that believe he has plenty of room to grow and will be just fine moving forward.
He ended the 2020-21 NBA regular season averaging 14.3 points per game to go along with 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists. Simmons also chipped in 1.6 steals per game, while shooting 55.7 percent from the floor and 61.3 percent from the free-throw line.
Obviously, he has a lot of work to do on his foul shooting. For a player that thrives on getting to the rim, Simmons has to be able to cash in when he is fouled. Teams actually started intentionally fouling Simmons in the playoffs because of how poorly he shot from the free-throw line.
At just 24 years of age, the Warriors could view Ben Simmons as a reclamation project. Even though he was still very productive this season, his value is at an all-time low. Golden State should absolutely look to buy now and form a “Big Three” of Curry, Simmons, and Thompson.
Expect to continue hearing rumors surrounding Simmons as the offseason gets closer. He could very well be moved, but the 76ers may also opt to keep him around for at least one more. Either way, the Warriors are a team to keep an eye on if Philadelphia is open to moving him.
