Only two celebrities have watched their stock plummet faster than Ben Simmons, the once-labeled generational talent whose fall from grace has changed his career: rapper DaBaby, and last-place sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson.
Simmons is a top-5 NBA defender, a 6-10 freak athlete with a point guard’s court vision and ball handle. But he can’t shoot, and maybe won’t either.
The 76ers have had enough. They gave Simmons and Joel Embiid time to work the kinks out, adjusted the role players around their star duo and even changed head coaches. It was all useless. Now they’re back to Square 1.
It’s been time to find a trade. And the Sixers need to check the delusion at the door.
All reports indicate Philadelphia wants the kitchen sink in any deal for Simmons.
Now he wants out, and no amount of Sixers backtracking is going to undo the disrespect cast Simmons’ way. He’s not going to report to training camp, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer Keith Pompey.
So it’s unrealistic for the Sixers, who have no leverage, to demand four first-round picks plus an All-Star caliber player in exchange for Simmons, who neither wants nor plans to suit up for them again. For reference, the James Harden trade fetched two starters (Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen), a role player (Taurean Prince), an end-of-the-bench player (Rodions Kurucs), three first-round picks and four pick swaps. If only the Sixers jumped at the Harden trade when they had the chance to offer Simmons.
The Jrue Holiday deal to the Bucks cost Milwaukee a starting point guard (Eric Bledsoe), a salary filler (George Hill), three first-round picks and two pick swaps.
Simmons’ value is somewhere in the middle but closest to what the Bucks gave up for Holiday. He has four years left on his deal with no player options, meaning the team that acquires him will have him in town for nearly half of the next decade. He is also well liked among the league’s younger players, making him able to recruit his friends to whichever team he lands with next.
There’s another piece to the puzzle: The players the Sixers want aren’t available. If Damian Lillard’s going to request a trade, it’ll likely come mid-season, when Simmons in Philadelphia needs to be old news, and the Kings don’t appear willing to swap De’Aaron Fox for Simmons.
There’s one very specific team, however, that needs a player of Simmons’ stature. He’s young player they can build around, pay the supermax and attempt to keep in town for the long haul. This team has had trouble keeping stars in town. A trade for Simmons helps them, and they have the pieces to help the Sixers.
Ben Simmons to Indiana for Malcolm Brogdon, Caris Levert and two future first-round picks
It’s not a sexy trade. Not for the Sixers, at least. But they need stable guard play (Tyrese Maxey is only one man), a dynamic perimeter playmaker, a pick-and-roll orchestrator and a strong wing defender to replace Simmons’ presence.
Brogdon and LeVert provide just that. Brogdon has long been regarded as one of the smartest players in the NBA. He’s one of very few members of the 50-40-90 Club (50% shooting from the field, 40% from 3 and 90% from the foul line) and is one of the strongest defenders at the point guard position in all of basketball. Brogdon is also a more-than capable pick-and-roll orchestrator.
LeVert can be a starter or the team’s sixth man. He’s a crafty playmaker and scorer himself and has the ability to take over a game with his streaky shooting and herky-jerky drives to the rack.
Meanwhile, the Pacers get what they need: A star who can sell tickets and possibly recruit other free agents to Indiana. And they get that star with four years left on his deal, with draft picks and other players to peddle in deals to assemble a competent roster.
You can hear Rick Carlisle licking his chops from across the country.
The Pacers would also inherit Simmons’ Bird Rights, meaning at age 29, they can offer him a five-year max contract worth 30-35% of the cap depending on his production. While the strong bet might be Simmons angling for a bigger market in his next free agency (thinking New York or Los Angeles), the Pacers might be able to build something sustainable if they build it around Simmons.
And if not, guess what? They get three years to rehab Simmons’ value before trading him for more than they gave up to get him. It’s the plight of a small-market franchise looking to compete with the big dogs. The status quo isn’t getting them any closer to an NBA championship. George McGinnis isn’t walking through that door.
The status quo isn’t going to cut it, either, for the 76ers, a team that deluded itself into thinking it could set a sky-high asking price for a player whose stock has plummeted unlike any other. The Sixers own all but one (2025 top-six protected) of their first-round picks through 2029. If they get two firsts back in a Simmons deal, they can create a trade package for a star who wants off his team at the deadline.
Philly’s championship window will only stay open as long as Embiid’s legs hold. Time is of the essence, and as it pertains to Simmons, time is up.