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As NBA trade season marches along, so does the Ben Simmons mock trades. The basketball community continues to whip up frameworks to give the former no. 1 pick a change of scenery. In their latest trade idea, the people at Bleacher Report came up with a scenario that lands Simmons in Portland as part of a three-team deal involving the Sixers and other folk.
The full breakdown is this. Portland receives Simmons, Myles Turner and Danny Green, Philly lands Caris LeVert, Larry Nance Jr., and Norman Powell. While Indiana acquires CJ McCollum, Nassir Little, Cody Zeller, and two draft picks.
Portland and Philly still make a lot of sense as trade partners, so it is not shocking mocks are still appearing with them involved. That being said, this framework of a deal makes little to no sense for Daryl Morey and the Sixers.
There are multiple reasons Morey would not bite on a trade like this. The first being it drastically upgrades the Trail Balzers' roster. As we know, Damian Lillard is atop Morey's wishlist to pair alongside Joel Embiid. With such a strong desire to bring the All-Star guard to Philadelphia, it is unlikely Morey gives him a reason to stay with the Blazers.
Another factor in this is Morey's high asking price. Throughout this entire saga, he has made it abundantly clear he wants a star-level player in return for Simmons. While the Sixers are receiving three good players, none of them are of the caliber Morey is seeking.
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LeVert has shown promise throughout his career, but his injury history is a major concern. The 27-year-old has not played more than 50 games in a season since 2018, his second year as a pro. He is also averaging his lowest points per game total since 2018-19, where he scored just over 13 a night. LeVert has a set of skills the Sixers need on the perimeter, but acquiring him in exchange for Simmons is a risk.
Powell is another player who could seamlessly fit on the Sixers, but he is not exactly a needle-mover. So far this season, he is averaging 18 PPG and shooting close to 42% from beyond the arc. Heading into the trade deadline last year, Powell was a player reportedly on the Sixers' radar.
There is no denying the Sixers land a good package of players in this mock trade. The question is just how much better does it make them? Adding three rotation players would make the Sixers deeper but doesn't put them in a tier with Milwaukee and Brooklyn.
With Joel Embiid in the prime of his career now, the Sixers operate as a team looking to contend for a championship. Trading away an All-Star and championship veteran for rotation pieces doesn't get them closer to representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA finals. At this point, it's doubtful Morey would settle for such a low-ball offer.
