NBA trade odds: Bulls not on list of Ben Simmons suitors originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Another Philadelphia 76ers season ended in unceremonious fashion Sunday night. The Eastern Conference’s top seed dropped Game 7 of their second-round series with the Atlanta Hawks on their home floor, giving way for what could be a busy offseason in the City of Brotherly Love.
At that heart of that will be the increasingly-maligned Ben Simmons. A former No. 1 overall pick and one of the most talented defenders in the NBA, Simmons languished against Atlanta on the offensive end of the floor, averaging 9.9 points, shooting 33.3 percent from the foul line and taking just three field-goal attempts in fourth quarters across the seven-game set.
The defeat has the franchise at a crossroads, and in the aftermath, fans, media members and oddsmakers have pivoted to find a new home for the 24-year-old Simmons — and possibly a better-fitting third star for Philadelphia.
According to our partner, PointsBet, the Bulls are not one of the short list of favorites to land the Sixers’ star if he is traded:
Portland Trail Blazers: +250
Washington Wizards: +300
San Antonio Spurs: +450
Utah Jazz/Oklahoma City Thunder: +550
Golden State Warriors: +600
Los Angeles Lakers: +625
Cleveland Cavaliers: +750
Houston Rockets: +1000
That’s a list populated by teams with a star to swap (e.g. the Trail Blazers with CJ McCollum or Wizards with Bradley Beal) or rebuilding clubs with deep draft-asset wallets (e.g. the Thunder).
The Bulls, meanwhile, are limited in which draft picks they can trade and lack compelling players to package outside of their two All-Stars in Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević.
RELATED: Ben Simmons would help Bulls, but trade is hard to construct
Trade buzz around Simmons figures to permeate the offseason. While the Bulls appear to be on the outside looking in for now, anything can happen in today’s NBA.
Editor’s note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.