In the basketball community, mock trades are a daily occurrence. After trade buzz slowed down in the opening weeks of the season, rumors are starting to heat back up again, especially involving Ben Simmons. This is no surprise as Dec. 15 rapidly approaches. After then, players signed to deals over the offseason can be traded.
The folks over at Bleacher Report are constantly whipping up trades to shake up the NBA landscape, and they are at it again. In a recent article, they listed an array of trades to create the next âBig 3sâ in the league.
Simmons has been a featured name in these types of articles, and he makes an appearance yet again. Some of their trades centered around the disgruntled All-Star have been questionable, but this is certainly one of their better ones. It is a three-team deal that sends Simmons to the Memphis Grizzlies, while the Sixers land Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The full breakdown of the deal is this: Memphis receives Ben Simmons and a second-round pick, Philly acquires SGA and Dillon Brooks, and the Thunder land a package centered around Tyrese Maxey, first-round picks, and salary filler.
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
There is a lot to like about this trade from the Sixers' perspective, but one glaring reason makes a framework like this unlikely. While Gilgeous-Alexander and Brooks are good players, they do not raise the Sixers' ceiling enough to part ways with Simmons and Maxey. The only way Daryl Morey is moving on from both players is in a trade for someone like Damian Lillard.
An avenue where Simmons and Gilgeous-Alexander are swapped is one Morey should heavily pursue. Unfortunately, it would likely have to wait until the offseason due to Gilgeous-Alexander's extension not kicking in until after this season.
Morey has his sights set on trading Simmons for a high-level player who can help the Sixers compete for a title, and Gilgeous-Alexander fits that bill. He has blossomed into a star and is only getting ready to enter his prime. Being locked up for the long haul makes him more enticing as he would be paired alongside Joel Embiid for the foreseeable future.
In 20 games for the Thunder this season, Gilgeous-Alexander is posting averages of 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists. At 23 years old, he has already established himself as one of the premier up-and-coming guards in the league right now.
It has been reported the Sixers have a list of 30 players they'd be willing to trade Simmons for. Between his growth and complementing skill set, it's fair to assume Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the aforementioned players.
There is still no telling when the Ben Simmons saga will reach its end, but the rumor mill should begin to swirl again in the coming weeks. Of all the mock trades made for the former No. 1 pick, this is one of the best-case scenarios for Morey and the Sixers.
Follow Us
Subscribe