Getty Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles against John Collins #20 of the Atlanta Hawks
After the Brooklyn Nets were eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs, only one player’s name was being tossed around in trade discussions, and it was Ben Simmons. The discussions were mainly hypothetical after there was frustration with how Simmons navigated his injured back after the trade and despite reports that he would play in game six, never making his Nets debut. However, in the last month, Kyrie Irving and the Nets had a public and messy contract negotiation before Irving opted into the final year of his contract in Brooklyn, and Kevin Durant requested a trade shortly after. Ben Simmons largely has stayed out of the trade discussions as the Nets figure out what they will do with their two stars.
Now, the Simmons trade rumors may have halted because of the uncertainty around their two stars, but it also could be because his trade value has diminished after his time on the sidelines in Brooklyn. The once runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year now has little value on the trade market.
“Simmons hasn’t played in 13 months. He’s coming off back surgery. He quaked in the postseason — again. His trade value is at an all-time low. For their part, the Nets are wary of selling low on Simmons and cannot afford to view him as a mere throw-in,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe wrote.
However, despite low trade value Bleacher Report recently shared a trade proposal that featured Simmons in a deal with the Atlanta Hawks.
Simmons to Atlanta?
Greg Swartz, in a recent article, shared a trade proposal that sent Simmons to the Hawks for two young players.
The Hawks have already been active in trades this offseason, making a move to acquire Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs. Could the team look to finalize a deal with the Nets to acquire their All-Star point guard in Simmons?
Nets Receive: F/C John Collins, G/F Bogdan Bogdanovic
Hawks Receive: G/F Ben Simmons
The Atlanta Hawks struggled defensively last season and ranked 26th in the NBA with a 113.7 overall rating, and that seems to be the only way a Simmons deal makes sense after they acquired Murray. Murray is exciting for the Hawks because he allows Trae Young to play off the ball in a similar fashion to how Steph Curry plays, but do they want another ball handler in Simmons to have three players used to having the ball in their hands?
The Nets get back John Collins has been impressive and averaged 16.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for the Hawks. Bogdanovic also averaged over 15 points per game last season, and the two are interesting pieces for the Nets. Have the Nets had enough of Simmons so much that they would trade him before a chance to prove himself? Where Collins and Bogdanovic aren’t a definite upgrade, that is an important question to ask. Simmons has been making all the right moves this offseason from his goals with the Nets, and a trade may not make sense until they see how it plays out.
Raptors Enquired About Simmons
The Hawks aren’t the only team that have been in Simmons discussions. One NBA executive shared with Heavy.com’s own Sean Deveney that the Toronto Raptors have enquired about Simmons in the past.
“Toronto had an interest in Simmons before, and a package could be built around OG Anunoby. The Raptors would not give up Scottie Barnes or (Fred) Van Vleet or (Pascal) Siakam, so it might be a nonstarter for Brooklyn,” the executive said to Deveney.
“But Anunoby, Khem Birch, and two young guys like (Malachi) Flynn and Precious Achiuwa, plus a couple of first-rounders, that might be the best the Nets can do for him.”