Philadelphia 76ers all-star guard Ben Simmons had arguably his worst playoff performance this season. Simmons’ performance was so bad that he was a victim of jokes and criticism both on social media and on TV. From his poor shooting to barely making an impact to seal the series versus the Atlanta Hawks, it’s fair to think that the 24-year-old could be traded soon.
After all, the process hasn’t worked for the Sixers. It didn’t help that Simmons’ co-star Joel Embiid passively called out Simmons after losing game seven versus Trae Young’s Hawks. Simmons’ social media pages haven't been quit either. Numerous NBA fans have flooded his comment section, insisting that he gets out of the Sixers.
It’s been rough for Simmons, who cannot be a contender’s go-to guy if he doesn’t upgrade his offensive game. Today’s NBA relies so much on offense that it’s difficult to have a liability like how Simmons was out there. So, it really won’t be a shocker if the Sixers indeed call up several teams in the league to perhaps transact trades that involve Simmons.
There already is a list of odds for Ben Simmons’ new team if ever gets traded. Teams like the Washington Wizards (+300), San Antonio Spurs (+400), Utah Jazz (+500) and Oklahoma City Thunder (+550) are on top of that list. Suffice it to say that wherever Simmons goes, the whole NBA community will react in a certain way.
That said, today’s meme creators and enthusiasts will definitely be on top of this headline. What happens if Simmons does indeed get dumped to OKC? Or perhaps maybe to the Blazers in exchange for CJ McColum who kind of screwed up Damian Lillard’s historic game five performance versus the Nuggets?
Here are three Ben Simmons trade destinations that will probably cause the most memes:
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers were number six (+650) on the same list for Simmons’ next destination. This will cause a ton of memes because the Lakers are a poor shooting team and to add a caliber like Simmons only makes the fit worse. Can you imagine the memes about bricking shots that will go around if ever this trade happens?
Aside from the Lakers’ shooting woes, Simmons’ agent, Rich Paul, is also the same person that represents LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Klutch connections are for real (just look at the Lakers’ roster this year) and it’ll make sense to see memes about Paul saving Simmons’ legacy go around social media. Not only will this cause a ton of memes but it’ll also be a hell of a headline this off season.
Oklahoma City Thunder
As mentioned above, the Thunder are included on the list because they have enough draft assets and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kemba Walker and Darius Bazeley. Ben Simmons getting dumped to a rebuilding team will motivate meme enthusiasts to churn out memes about this being a reason for his shooting struggles. That maybe the Thunder’s developmental coaching staff can rebuild his offensive game. After all, OKC’s General Manager Sam Presti has made it clear that they are on rebuild mode and who knows what can happen down the line.
San Antonio Spurs
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich once said that Simmons is already elite despite his lack of shooting skills. It makes sense why Pop would say this because he’s a coach that appreciates players who are unselfish and makes an effort on defense—something Simmons can bring every game. That said, the Spurs would still be an interesting choice and likely a blessing for meme creators because they can be a midrange-heavy offense team.
Just the perfect team for Simmons, right? Or perhaps a team that will help him develop his offensive game. What if one of Pop’s greatest achievements in the latter part of his career is turning Ben Simmons, who he already classified as elite, into a decent offensive player? If there’s one respectable coach who can do it, it’s definitely Gregg Popovich.
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