2. Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers have been shopping Ben Simmons hard. While their original offers to the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and Toronto Raptors were outrageous, they are motivated to get a deal done.

Rival executives believe it is only a matter of when, not if, Simmons is traded by the 76ers despite them saying they are comfortable having him on the roster heading into the season. A trade should still happen, and D’Angelo Russell could be someone they target.

The 76ers are looking for an All-Star caliber player at least in return for Simmons and Russell would fit that bill. He made the All-Star team in 2019 as a member of the Brooklyn Nets. While he hasn’t replicated that success again quite yet, he has at least proven that he is capable of it in the past.

At 25-years old, Russell fits the bill of what the 76ers would be looking for in a realistic return package for Simmons. He would help provide scoring and floor spacing around Joel Embiid that the team is looking for.

READ MORE: Predictions for Latest NBA Trade Rumors: Simmons, Siakam, Dragic, Lillard

While not the defender that Simmons is, Russell would be a nice plug-and-play option as the starting point guard for the 76ers.