Does this trade make sense for the Toronto Raptors?

The Toronto Raptors are in a tough spot. Do they tear down the roster and start a rebuild around their younger trio in OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. and Scottie Barnes? Or do they try and retool on the fly and jump back into the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. In this hypothetical deal, they retool and jump back in with Simmons as their new centerpiece.

While the price to acquire Simmons is steep, as Fred VanVleet and Anunoby are two legitimate starters in the NBA, they do not have the star potential that Simmons has. Despite his shortcomings offensively, Simmons is already elite in other areas.

The LSU product is one of the best defenders in the NBA. He can defend any position, evident during the playoffs when he would go from defending a point guard such as Trae Young to banging on the interior with big men such as John Collins and Clint Capela. Few people in the league have the blend of size and athleticism that Simmons possesses to be able to do that.

His struggles offensively, specifically shooting the ball, are well documented. But, his playmaking is elite and he does improve the players around him. He would have a backcourt mate in Gary Trent Jr. that would take a lot of the offensive pressure off of him, as Trent is a bonafide scorer that is still coming into his own at 22-years old.

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Watching Simmons run pick-and-roll actions with Pascal Siakam would also be a lot of fun. They could be interchangeable pieces as the passer or roll man, presenting a lot of issues for opposing defenses.

Adding a player such as Simmons does have some risks, but it would be a worthwhile gamble for Toronto to take. Simmons can impact a game already, evident by his multiple All-Stars and All-Defensive team selections. If he developed even on go-to move offensively, he would easily be a top-five player in the NBA.