Philadelphia 76ers Receive: F Gordon Hayward, First-Round Pick
Charlotte Hornets Receive: F/G Ben Simmons
It would be shocking to see a trade like this go down between the Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets for a few reasons. For starters, the package that the 76ers are receiving for him. It was suggested as a hypothetical deal at Bleacher Report, it is difficult to envision this gaining traction.
Given the offers that the 76ers have presented to other teams, this isn’t close to what they are looking for. Malcolm Brogdon and the No. 13 overall pick, which Philadelphia declined earlier in the offseason, would present better value than this.
Hayward’s inability to stay on the court should be a non-starter from the 76ers’ perspective. Hayward averaged 19.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game last season, which are excellent numbers. But, he appeared in only 44 games, giving him 97 regular-season appearances since the conclusion of the 2016-17 season.
That is just not going to cut it. Even if the first-round pick going to Philadelphia from Charlotte could be guaranteed to be the No. 1 overall pick, this isn’t a deal that would interest the 76ers very much.
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Hayward is a solid playmaker, but they would be lacking a starting point guard on the roster. If this is truly the best offer that the 76ers can muster for Ben Simmons, they misread these negotiations as poorly as they could have.
What do Charlotte and Philadelphia think of a deal like this? Let’s take a look.
