Getty Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons talks with Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks during a 2021 game.
There may or may not be a deal to be made for the Philadelphia 76ers right now on the Ben Simmons front. However, it can’t be said that team president Daryl Morey has given up trying to find a solution for both his scuffling club and its embattled point guard.
As reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on December 10, Philly’s conversations with other teams about Simmons have been picking up steam recently. According to Woj, more clubs have been engaged in the process, with “two and three-way deal structure talks ongoing.”
More than a week later, though, there has been no real indication that Morey is any closer to finding a trade than he was before. And that should come as no surprise given his reported high asking price for the Aussie floor general.
Still, that hasn’t stopped hoops pundits, fans and armchair GMs from offering up their own trade pitches to get Simmons out of Philly. That includes Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz, who just crafted a hypothetical trade that would pair the three-time All-Star with Luka Doncic in the Big D.
Simmons & Kemba Walker Do Dallas
In a piece pushing four “fresh” NBA trade ideas, Swartz came up with the following three-way deal involving the Sixers and Simmons:
- Dallas Mavericks Receive: PG Ben Simmons, G Kemba Walker
- New York Knicks Receive: PF Charles Bassey
- Philadelphia 76ers Receive: PG Jalen Brunson, SG Tim Hardaway Jr., F Dorian Finney-Smith, 2025 first-round pick (lottery-protected, via Dallas Mavericks)
Obviously, there’s a lot to unpack here.
For the Mavs, the deal would leave the team with an intriguing star trio in Doncic, Simmons and Kristaps Porzingis. Meanwhile, Walker may not be able to play back-to-backs anymore and his defense leaves something to be desired, but he has shown that he’s still capable of doing real damage on the perimeter.
In 18 games with the Knicks before getting benched, he connected on 41.3% of his three-point attempts.
New York, meanwhile, gets a prospect in Bassey. The fact that they’re getting anything at all of value for Walker is probably a win. However, Bassey gives them another young asset to use in their pursuit of another star.
Alas, this deal falls apart where Philly is concerned.
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Morey Gets None of What He Wants Here
If anything has been made clear throughout this process, it’s that Simmons is going nowhere unless it results in Morey and Co. getting a top-25 player (or close to it) back to replace him. And if CJ McCollum and/or Buddy Hield aren’t making that cut, it’s probably safe to assume that Jalen Brunson and Tim Hardaway Jr. aren’t, either.
Brunson may be in the midst of a career year for Dallas, but it’s difficult to envision him getting the nod over Tyrese Maxey in the Sixers’ starting five. He may even fail to beat out Seth Curry at the other guard spot.
Hardaway, meanwhile, would be an upgrade over Danny Green from a sheer scoring standpoint. He’s several years younger, too. Defensively, though, and versatility-wise, the Sixers would give up a lot in making that particular swap in the starting lineup. Hardaway has also struggled mightily from the floor this season.
As for Dorian Finney-Smith and the pick, neither are anything to write home about.
There may be a deal out there to get Simmons to Dallas, but this one isn’t it. The pieces involved make it a non-starter for the Sixers, who are aiming to maximize their return on any trade.
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