The Philadelphia 76ers are looking for a solid and fair deal for 25-year-old three-time All-Star Ben Simmons. The Sixers originally hoped to remain patient on the Simmons trade talks, but now that the embattled star has requested a trade, the clock is ticking.
The season begins on Oct. 20 and the Sixers will be hard-pressed to get a deal done before they take on the New Orleans Pelicans. Their options are limited when it comes to potential All-Stars, and, at this point, they may have to take what they can get.
A new trade suggestion put out by TrueHoop has the Sixers moving Simmons to those Pelicans in exchange for Brandon Ingram and Kira Lewis:
Ingram just turned 24 this month and has been an All-Star. The high energy Lewis can one day partner with Tyrese Maxey to form an electric backcourt. Ingram isn’t a perfect fit next to Embiid as he actually likes to score inside the 3-point line, as Tobias Harris does, making space an issue in the halfcourt. Still, he took six 3s a game the last two seasons and hit over 38 percent. His presence as a small forward does give the Sixers an incredibly potent frontcourt. They’d have to find a point guard, until they do, Maxey and Lewis would gain valuable experience. If the Sixers success helped push Ingram back to an All-Star level, certainly possible, then it’s a win for Morey.
Ingram would be a very interesting pickup for Philadelphia as he averaged 23.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists while shooting 46.6% from the floor in the 2020-21 season. The former All-Star also shot 38.1% from deep on 6.1 attempts on the season, so he does enjoy letting it fly from beyond the arc while knocking them down a decent clip. He can break down the defense from the perimeter and get the job done on offense.
Lewis, on the other hand, is a speedster at the guard spot, and his ability to get to the basket as well as push the break would be fun to watch next to Tyrese Maxey. Is this a perfect haul for Simmons? No, but at this point, it is one of the better packages.
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