Brooklyn Nets Receive: G/F Ben Simmons
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: G Kyrie Irving
A one-for-one swap of All-Stars in the NBA is completely rare and in this case, completely crazy enough that it may just wind up working logically.
When you look at the Brooklyn Nets, the biggest question mark for them is not necessarily their scoring output, as they have Kevin Durant and James Harden are two former league MVPs leading the way on offense, but their defense is definitely going to be in question all year long.
In Philadelphia, the 76ers are once again a great defensive-minded team, but outside of Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris, they do not have many guys they can rely on to be elite-level scorers or playmakers. Tyrese Maxey, Seth Curry and Shake Milton have all played well early on in the new season, but are these three guys the difference in the Sixers winning a championship?
The Nets could use another primary defender and the 76ers could use another high-level scorer/facilitator, which is why Simmons in Brooklyn and Irving in Philadelphia makes sense just from a numbers standpoint.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: This Nets-Pistons Trade Is Headlined By Kyrie Irving To Detroit
However, from a personnel and realistic standpoint, this may not be a deal that both sides are willing to make. The Sixers would probably be more willing to move Simmons for Irving, but the Brooklyn Nets may have and should have some exceptions to moving Irving for Simmons.
He is a 3x All-Star, a 2x All-Defense Player, and a potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate when he is on the court, but Ben Simmons is a liability right now because of his unwillingness to play. Kyrie Irving does want to play, but he is unwilling to get the vaccine right now, making his situation much different than that of Simmons in Philadelphia.
Maybe if the Sixers trade Simmons, he will be more than happy to play at a high level for his new team, but is this a risk the Nets are going to want to take?
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: This Nets-Pistons Trade Is Headlined By Kyrie Irving To Detroit
After all, Ben Simmons is under contract through the 2024-25 season and is owed a total of $146.6M through then, so the Nets would not be able to get out of this contract unless they traded him again.
Moving Irving for Simmons means that Brooklyn is tied down to Ben Simmons long-term, which may be too much of a risk for them to take. A trade between the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers can absolutely work here, but is this a trade that truly makes sense for both sides?
