Does this trade make sense for Philadelphia 76ers?
Trading Ben Simmons at this point comes down to whether or not the 76ers front-office believes that he will return to the team. The 3x All-Star has said he is not going to show up to training camp and is alright with the idea of getting fined over $1M as a result, but when those fines start coming his way, maybe he will not be as reluctant to sit out.
It is one thing to say you will pay the fines and then it is another thing to actually pay the fines when they come your way! Ben Simmons could just be “holding out” that way the 76ers will give into what he wants and just trade him already, but this does not seem to be the case anymore.
As stated earlier, the Philadelphia 76ers do expect Ben Simmons to show up at some point and they do want him to be a part of their team for the 2021-22 season, at least to begin the year. If he does not play, Simmons’ trade value is going to decrease and then the Sixers are going to be stuck with an even lesser trade package, which is something they do not want.
Moving on from Ben Simmons and trading him remains the ultimate goal of the Philadelphia 76ers, but it really does seem like they want to wait for an All-Star-level talent to become available in trade talks.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Everything To Know About Latest Ben Simmons NBA Trade Rumors
Maybe they will move Simmons to put them in a better position to go after a player like Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal next offseason, but ultimately, this is a team that is coming off a season in which they were the 1-seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Philadelphia 76ers championship window is very small now with the Bucks coming off a championship, the Nets looking like the best team in the league entering the year and the Miami Heat suddenly becoming a title threat again, so there is little room for error.
If they do not get a grand return for Ben Simmons, the Sixers could be taking huge steps back in terms of “The Process” and they will be right back where they started 4-5 years ago as a rebuilding franchise.
There are questions about how D’Angelo Russell would fit in with the rest of the 76ers roster, but this truly is the best trade they can get right now, especially if the Pacers’ offer of Malcolm Brogdon and a first-round pick is off-the-table/ Russell is a proven All-Star.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Everything To Know About Latest Ben Simmons NBA Trade Rumors
Keep in mind, Jaden McDaniels can also continue to grow into a versatile power-forward and the 76ers would get 3 first-round picks, giving them the capability to begin putting assets together to make an even bigger move for another superstar talent to pair with Embiid.
If Ben Simmons really does sit out throughout training camp and through the preseason, the 76ers will have to think long and hard about trading him before the season, which could lead them to accept the Minnesota Timberwolves’ offer.
