With almost 85% of NBA players becoming available for trade next
week, the possibility of a Ben Simmons trade is starting to gather
momentum.
According to ESPN's Adrian
Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe, more teams are beginning to engage
the Philadelphia 76ers on potential structures to land the
disgruntled All-NBA defender.
Simmons has sat out the entire 2021-22 season thus far, focusing
on his mental health before a potential return to the court in
Philadelphia. Now, Simmons might be heading out of town within the
next week.
The 25-year-old point-forward is a jack of all trades, terrific
at faciliating and creating havoc on defense. Finishing as the
runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year last season, Simmons
still has some untapped potential in a different situation.
As BasketballNews.com's Evan Sidery
recently wrote on the Simmons saga, this could eventually turn
into a true win-win scenario for both sides. Simmons would have an
expanded role elsewhere, plus the Sixers retool their roster to
better fit alongside Joel Embiid.
In Philadelphia, Simmons has been an integral piece to their
rapid rise from "The Process" era. The No. 1 overall pick in the
2016 NBA Draft has career averages of 15.9 points, 8.2 assists, 8.1
rebounds, 1.7 steals and 0.7 blocks per game on a 57.9 True
Shooting percentage.
Simmons still has four years remaining on his current contract,
which would set a new precedent for movement within the Association
for star-caliber players. However, with the media-driven drama
revolving around Simmons and the Sixers, who knows how much
Philadelphia will actually be able to recoup in a forthcoming
blockbuster trade.
Stay tuned to BasketballNews.com as this story develops, as the
Simmons saga could be coming to an end very soon.