The Sixers season is about to be over. They're currently down three games to none against the Boston Celtics in the NBA playoffs down in the Orlando Bubble. Big changes are expected in Philly this offseason, from Brett Brown as head coach to how the roster is constructed. It's clearly not working and they're going to have some tough decisions to make. Al Horford and Tobias Harris make way too much money for the production they put up. Joel Embiid continues to be an elite player in the NBA, but the fit with the roster around him just isn't working. That brings us to Ben Simmons, the Sixers 6'10" PG, who has not played in the playoffs due to a knee injury.
Many assume that the Sixers are going to have to pick one of Embiid and Simmons to build around going forward and the consensus seems to be that if they trade one, it would be Simmons. You could debate whether or not that would be the right call, but in the spirit of NBA trade speculation fun, we decided to pick out five teams that should absolutely make a run at Simmons this offseason.
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls got some lottery luck this week and will pick fourth overall in the NBA draft this fall. They also have a new front office and will have a new head coach for next season. Why wouldn't they be aggressive going forward? Why wouldn't they go after an elite player like Simmons? Could a deal centered around the fourth pick and Zach Lavine get it done?
New York Knicks
Why wouldn't the Knicks try and trade for Simmons? They're in desperate need for a young star and have some draft capital to dangle out in front of Philly. Along with the eighth pick in this upcoming draft, they have another 2021 first round pick via the Porzingis trade. Would the Knicks be willing to package Mitchell Robinson with some draft picks to trade for Simmons? Philly would likely be looking for way more than that, but they're going to have to get creative about how they build their team going forward.
Golden State Warriors
No team will be in more trade rumors going forward than the Golden State Warriors after they secured the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft this week. Woj already said they're going to explore a trade ahead of the draft. What if Philly pulled off a deal for Wiggins and the pick for Simmons and then they drafted LaMelo Ball? Is the youngest Ball brother the missing piece in Philly?
New Orleans Pelicans
This would be a deal between two teams that currenlty have weird roster construction. Though it was a small sample, it doesn't appear that Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are the best fit together. The Pelicans have a boatload of picks from the Anthony Davis trade and need to do whatever they can to build a winner around Zion. For Philly, adding a scorer like Ingram could be exactly what they need to bring the roster together.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder are another team with a ton of future picks to use in a potential trade for a superstar. They could also offer the Sixers Chris Paul, who would likely be a much better fit alongside Embiid going forward. Philly could get really greedy and try and get SGA in a potential deal, but it seems doubtful that the Thunder would include him in a deal. For Philly, this would be a risky move based on CP3's age, but if you're able to get another piece and some picks, it might be an opportunity to rebuild the roster.
