Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons has taken a ton of flack over the past couple of days. After the Sixers were stunned and eliminated by the fifth seed Atlanta Hawks, the NBA world has had strong opinions about trading Simmons to perhaps finally break his pairing with Joel Embiid. They’ve been together and considered a contender for years but they’ve never really made it to the NBA Finals. 

So like every contender, changes need to be made if things don’t work out the year prior. The Sixers had Simmons on the trading block for years now but decided that his value was more precious than what other teams were offering for him. After a disappointing series against the Hawks, Simmons’ value has decreased.

Despite Simmons’ shooting struggles, he still is an all-star for a couple of reasons. For one, he’s a superior defender around the court. He was close to winning this year’s Defensive Player of the Year award. He’s also a relatively great passer and can make plays for his teammates. His struggles to shoot is just the one hindering him from being a great player and why perhaps he could be out of Philadelphia this season. 

So, what contender could use Simmons’ skills? Let’s check out the situation at the Bay.

The Golden State Warriors are hard capped. They’re using most of their space for all-stars Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. So if there’s one way they can get Simmons, it’s through trade. The challenge would be the Warriors’ assets but hypothetically, they can acquire Simmons. 

Andrew Wiggins swap

The Warriors have an asset in Andrew Wiggins but they would need to add more in order to at least request a fair trade for Simmons. Perhaps if they’re willing to, the Warriors have the seventh and 14th pick in this year’s draft, which they could use to trade for as well. 

James Wiseman swap

The Warriors can also find a way to ship incoming sophomore James Wiseman around. Although this seems unlikely, the Dubs can find a way to package him along with one role player and perhaps their draft picks. While the Warriors are reportedly content with not trading Wiseman, there could be arguments made about his current fit with the team.

Wiseman, who averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game showed potential but was obviously still a little raw on the court. Granted, he is a rookie who barely got to play college basketball. But it’s certain that Wiseman won’t hit his peak at least during Curry’s prime right now. 

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The Warriors must do everything they can to capitalize on Curry’s window because sensational players like him don’t come around often. 

Simmons’ fit on the Warriors

Simmons cannot shoot but guess what? Curry and company can. There’s no better solution for a struggling shooter than to pair him up with the greatest shooter of all time. As mentioned above, Simmons is also an elite defender, and to pair his skills alongside Green would make the Warriors an even better defensive team. 

Imagine this scenario: Simmons plays point while Curry works off the ball to get his shots up. Aside from Curry, Thompson and role players (whoever the Warriors decide to keep) can help space the floor. The offense won’t depend on Simmons’ shooting so much but at least he has teammates around him who can back him up. 

That said, this hypothetical trade is close to impossible given the logistics, cap space, and assets the Warriors have. But hey, impossible things have happened in the NBA before. Who knows, maybe Green uses his Klutch connections to get Simmons aboard? Maybe the Sixers want a three-team deal? It has happened in the past that’s for sure.