After another failure in this year's playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers will face some hardships this summer. With Ben Simmons' heavily exposed offensive deficiencies factoring into the Sixers' demise against the Atlanta Hawks, he could certainly be traded during the offseason.
At just 24 years of age, Simmons still has plenty of upside in his game with a strong post presence, great rebounding, and solid handles. The Sixers have to consider what they really have with him.
Simmons is an elite defensive player who was amongst this year's finalists for the NBA DPOY award. Although he does have shooting woes and shattered confidence at the moment, he could bounce back huge and develop a well-rounded offensive game in the right situation. With that in mind, let's take a look at the three best trade destinations for him in the summer if the Sixers want to deal him.
Ben Simmons trade destinations:
Golden State Warriors
If there's a team out there that can fix his broken jump shot and turn him into a complete two-way player, then it's the Golden State Warriors. With their high-octane scoring and up-tempo style of play, they'd be able to develop Ben Simmons into a scoring machine down low and on the perimeter. He would also thrive in their defensive schemes, disrupting the passing lanes with Draymond Green and denying easy access to the hoop.
With his ability to run the floor and finish around the rim, he'd also provide the most efficient fast breaks to a team that's been making a living off of them for a while. Ben Simmons would be the perfect fit under the Warriors system, and with their jumpshot-heavy environment, he'd learn how to effectively shoot with the correct hand (he's naturally a righty).
After all, he would be playing with the best scoring backcourt of all-time in Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, so he would definitely learn a lot while developing a killer jump shot. With Golden State, Ben Simmons would gain a new outlook on the game and develop better awareness in high-pressure situations.
Dallas Mavericks
With things being more toxic than ever in Dallas, adding Ben Simmons to their roster would make Luka Doncic a very happy man. Maybe not on offense, but defensively he'd provide them with lots of help on the interior.
With Luka being such a complete scorer, this would take the pressure off Simmons to produce instant offense in close games. Luka would also elevate Simmons' game and make him more effective in the paint and passive on the perimeter.
Plus with Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki now working as an advisor with the team, he would have access to one-on-one shooting lessons with one of the greatest scorers the game's ever seen. A star tandem of Doncic and Simmons would resurrect the Mavericks and take the west by complete surprise.
In an effort to satisfy Luka any way they can, the Mavericks trading for Ben Simmons would be a risk well worth it.
Chicago Bulls
Ready to build a contending team around their star duo in Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, Ben Simmons would be an ideal acquisition for this young and athletic squad.
With his proven facilitating and playmaking ability, Simmons is a point-forward who could make this team a playoff threat again. Already having plenty of scoring on the roster between LaVine, Vucevic, and Coby White, Simmons would be a great playmaker and defensive presence that could give them size upfront.
Given how close they are to playoff contention, this is a move that could definitely put them over the top and make them a very dangerous lower seed with upset potential. Although his lack of shooting may still be an issue, the Bulls would be able to cover up his deficiencies with there being plenty of scoring already on the roster. Plus with his playmaking and defensive tenacity, he'd be a fourth option at best. So really the Bulls would come out ahead with the acquisition of Ben Simmons.
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