Why The Brooklyn Nets Do The Deal
Frankly, we love this deal for Brooklyn.
We realize some fans of the team will disagree. Admittedly, there are some bad optics here. The Nets traded James Harden to land Simmons, along with two first-round picks. Flipping him for two high-quality role players down the line won’t sit well with everyone.
Fair. On the other hand, do these Nets really need Simmons? Suppose Irving gets back to regularly playing basketball in 2022-23. Isn’t it possible that surrounding the star duo of Durant and Irving with complementary pieces is this team’s best route forward? That was the thought not long ago. Now, Irving is back to creating controversies and missing games.
Otherwise, this team will have to commit a chunk of their season to figuring out how Simmons functions for them. Is he a roll man, or the primary ball-handler?
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Ben Simmons, Brooklyn Nets & Indiana Pacers Updates
By contrast, there will be no questions of role for Turner or Hield. The former will shoot 3s and defend the rim, and the latter will shoot (and hit 3s): no questions asked.
Perhaps the Nets would do well to accept that Simmons isn’t the right fit for Durant and Irving now. If they made this deal, it could fate them into an NBA championship.
