San Antonio Spurs Receive: F Ben Simmons
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: G Dejounte Murray, G Derrick White, F Devin Vassell, 2022 First-Round Pick, 2024 First-Round Pick
In this deal, the San Antonio Spurs came away with All-Star Ben Simmons. With the team overhauling the roster, they get a new face of the franchise for Gregg Popovich to build his system around.
For Philadelphia, this is likely a trade package that fans will be disappointed in. After seeing what Daryl Morey had been asking teams for, this would be a little underwhelming. However, given how Simmons has performed, especially in the playoffs, this is likely more in line with the offers they will receive.
Dejnoute Murray is turning 25 years old this year and has developed well during his career. He has improved his statistics each season in the NBA and is on a relatively team-friendly contract with three years and about $50 million remaining. If he can develop a more consistent 3-point shot, his game can take off.
Derrick White had a wild ride to the NBA, but at 27-years old is coming into his own. Injuries held him back last season but he would provide Philadelphia with another combo guard to deploy in the backcourt.
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Devin Vassell was the 11th pick out of Florida State in 2020 and has great two-way potential. He played sparingly as a rookie but showed that he has multi-positional versatility on defense. Turning only 21 in August, he has immense potential.
The two future first-round picks give Philadelphia some maneuverability for the future. Getting what essentially amounts to Murray, White and three lottery picks, as Vassell was only picked last season, gives Philadelphia a multitude of things they can do.
Why does this trade make sense for both teams? Let’s take a deeper dive into it.
