Getty Could the Mavericks swap Jalen Brunson (left) in a Ben Simmons package?
In the end, Sixers star Ben Simmons will, no matter how earnestly the front-office brass in Philly tries to prevent it, get paid his entire contract. And his contract is worth $140 million over the next four seasons. That max contract is one reason the Sixers don’t want to send away a 25-year-old former No. 1 overall pick for anything less than a true max player in return.
Of course, the situation in Philadelphia has taken an especially frosty turn, with Simmons sitting out of training camp in a high-stakes game of chicken with the organization, hoping things get desperate enough for the Sixers to pull the trigger on even a semi-decent offer for Simmons.
That is where the Mavs have to be at least a little interested. If the market for Simmons takes enough of a downward turn, the Mavericks would be in position to pair Ben Simmons with the one guy who might be able to unlock him like no other: new Dallas coach Jason Kidd.
“There is no coach I would rather see get his hands on Simmons than Jason Kidd,” one Western Conference assistant coach told Heavy.com. “I mean, Simmons is like Kidd was as a player, almost exactly, at this point in his career, except a lot bigger, stronger and more athletic. He is everything Kidd wished he was when he was 25.”
The Mavs’ problem? Obviously they’re not giving up Luka Doncic. The best return package the team could offer for Simmons, then, would be built around Kristaps Porzingis, and the Sixers are going to want a lot more star power than that.
Will Time Back Sixers Into a Corner on Simmons Trade?
Still, given the corner into which the Sixers are backed in this situation, it is possible that the asking price on Simmons comes down eventually. They simply can’t play out the entire 2021-22 season with Simmons holding out—that is nearly unprecedented in the NBA.
A price drop on Simmons would be the case in most similar scenarios, though this one could be different, for two reasons: First, because Sixers GM Daryl Morey is in his second season with the Sixers, has public backing, and can afford to be stubborn; and second, because Simmons has four years on his contract and has very little leverage on hand.
Thus, the Sixers are holding out for stars, with Damian Lillard being the dream target for Morey and Philly. The Blazers have given no indication of moving Lillard, though, but that shows where the bar is for the Mavs—it’s one they can’t hope to reach as long as Doncic is off the table, which he will be for a long, long time.
“Everybody is looking at that situation and no one wants to go in and help the Sixers by making a good offer, not when you still think you can lowball them because of all the baggage Simmons has now,” one league executive said.
Could Kristaps Porzingis Highlight a Simmons Trade?
But it is not unreasonable to suppose the Sixers could get desperate enough to consider shipping Simmons to the Mavs for Porzingis and other sweeteners—a future first-rounder, maybe Josh Green or even Jalen Brunson. If the Sixers can’t get a star like Lillard, a high-potential power forward who can shoot and block shots, like Porzingis, would be a decent enough gamble.
If Porzingis stays healthy and gets off to a good start this season, some of the value he’s lost in the last two seasons will be restored. Then, a Simmons-Porzingis swap won’t look all that uneven.
Certainly, pairing Simmons with Kidd has plenty of appeal for the Mavericks. Kidd came into the league as a terrible shooter, like Simmons (though not to the same depth), making 32.5% of his 3s for the first 10 seasons of his career. He became a reliable 3-point shooter for the final nine seasons of his career, in which he shot 36.9% from the arc. All the while, he put up Hall of Fame numbers as a passer and rebounder.
Excellent passer, excellent defender, great rebounder for a guard. Not a great shooter. That was Kidd most of his career. It’s Simmons now. It could be a great thing for his development if Simmons somehow wound up paired with Kidd.