Despite Ben Simmons' current issues with the Philadelphia 76ers, Isiah Thomas still sees a bright future for the Australian playmaker. The NBA great and Hall of Famer even went as far as to suggesting that Simmons can become Magic Johnson 2.0.

In his recent appearance on The Big Podcast with Shaquille O'Neal, Thomas shared why he would “absolutely trade” for Simmons if he's the GM or exec of an NBA team. After all, he knows very well what Ben is capable of and what he can achieve with some tweaking in his game.

“To me Ben Simmons is not a broken player. He was their best defender. He was an All-Star. And he led them in assists. Now what Ben Simmons' problem is not that he can't shoot the basketball, his problem is he can't make free throws as a point guard,” Thomas said of the wantaway Sixers star.

“As a point guard, the leader of the team, if Ben Simmons became a better foul-shooter, Ben Simmons will be averaging 19 points a game, eight rebounds, eight assists, and nobody would have a problem with Ben Simmons. [He] needs to get in the gym and work on foul shooting.”

Isiah Thomas also recalled one summer when he worked out with Magic Johnson and how Simmons can learn from the Los Angeles Lakers great. According to Thomas, after that summer when Magic diligently worked on his free-throw shooting, the legendary point guard became the MVP of the league.

For Thomas, Simmons needs to follow the same path. If he does, then he could very well become a true game-changer in the NBA.

“If he becomes a better foul-shooter, he will add four to five points to his scoring average and he will be inside the post making layups and everything else, going to the foul line just like another person that Shaq idolized that couldn't shoot. His name is Magic Johnson,” Thomas added.

“Magic Johnson the whole summer shot free throws. We ran, did sprints and everything and then he would shoot free throws. … The next year Magic Johnson was the MVP of the league, because he got to the foul line eight times a night … became a 90 percent foul shooter and increased his scoring average to 16 to 20 or 19. If Ben Simmons becomes a better foul shooter, then this story is over.”

For what it's worth, Simmons indeed needs to work on his free throws. While a lot has been said about his need to develop his shot from beyond the arc, Isiah Thomas has a point that he can address his foul shooting first. The 25-year-old is a career 59.7 percent shooter from the charity stripe, which is not good for a guard who often attacks the rim.

Ben Simmons remains away from the Sixers as he deals with his mental health issues. However, it is unknown if he will still play for the team after his absence during the offseason and trade demand.

There have been plenty of interest on Simmons, and if the Sixers trade him, then his next team should probably heed Thomas' advice to unlock the full potential of the Aussie