Back in June, when it became apparent that the Sixers had to trade Ben Simmons following their playoff loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the list of names they could get back in return were much more exciting.
Damian Lillard. Bradley Beal. Zach LaVine.
Things certainly have changed.
With Simmons reportedly refusing to ever play for the Sixers again, the team now finds themselves in a tough situation. They can either keep him on the roster, fining him for not showing up, in hopes a better deal comes along. Or, they could take the best offer they can get now just to get him off the roster and move on from the distraction he will bring.
The issue? The list of potential trade options are certainly not as exciting as they used to be.
Lillard isn't being traded before the season starts. LaVine seems locked into staying in Chicago. Beal could become available, but as of now he seems set to play another meaningless season in Washington.
So who could the Sixers get in return?
Here is a look at some realistic players the Sixers could get back in a deal for Simmons:
** Note: Most of these trades would also involve draft picks coming back to the Sixers **
D’Angelo Russell, Minnesota Timberwolves:
The Timberwolves are the team that seems to have the most interest in Simmons according to multiple reports. If that is the case, it is hard to see a deal happening without Russell being involved. Russell checks one very key box for the Sixers — he is a willing and capable shooter from three. Russell shot just under 39% from three last season on 7.4 attempts per game, and just under 37% from three the season before on nearly 10 attempts per game. He is not the defensive player that Simmons is, but Russell is the score-first, three-point shooting guard the Sixers have desperately needed the past few postseasons.
CJ McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers:
If the Sixers making shooting the priority in any Simmons deal, McCollum might be their best option. McCollum isn’t Lillard (in many ways), but he is a career 40% shooter from three and averaged 23.1 points-per-game last season while averaging 8.9 attempts from deep per game. One issue with McCollum is that he doesn’t get to the line very often, as he averaged just 2.8 free throw attempts per game last season. If the Sixers can get McCollum plus picks for Simmons, perhaps McCollum would be able to recruit Lillard to Philadelphia once things fall apart in Portland.
Colin Sexton and Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers:
The Cavaliers are also a team that is reportedly very interested in Simmons. Cleveland has two interesting guards they could offer up, but chances are the return would be Sexton, who has averaged 20.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists in three seasons. Sexton is a solid shooter, making just under 39% of his threes in his career, but he is average just 3.9 attempts per game. Sexton has some upside but would be a very uninspiring return for Simmons, especially for a team looking to win right now. Love would be a good stretch four for the Sixers, but would really only be in the deal so the money would match.
Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley, Sacramento Kings:
Hield isn’t the best player on this list that can shoot, but he might be the best shooter overall. Hield shot just under 40% on a whopping 10.2 attempts from deep per game last season, averaging 16.6 points. The issue with Hield is he doesn’t do much else but shoot (making him the opposite of Simmons), as he averages just 2.5 assists for his career. Bagley would be a nice addition to the Sixers, and he is also a willing shooter for a big man, but both Bagley and Hield feel more like role players than potential difference makers for the Sixers.
Andrew Wiggins and James Wiseman, Golden State Warriors:
If the Sixers only goal in any Simmons trade is to make Joel Embiid happy, bringing in his former college teammate is a good place to start. Wiggins has had an interesting career so far, as he hasn’t lived up to the insane hype surrounding him coming out of Kansas, but hasn’t been a bust either. Wiggins can score, averaging 19.5 points for his career, and has averaged in the 20’s three times. He has improved as a shooter, hitting 38% of his threes last season on 5.2 attempts. The hope would be that Wiggins, reunited with Embiid, hits his potential. Wiseman was a bust in his lone season with the Warriors, but perhaps a change of scenery would be good for the former No. 2 overall pick.
John Wall and Kevin Porter Jr., Houston Rockets:
The Rockets had interest in acquiring Simmons last season when a deal nearly was completed for James Harden. Needless to say, this return isn’t exactly as good as Harden. It is hard to imagine the Sixers taking Wall back in a deal for Simmons, unless the Rockets include a ton of first-round picks. The only benefit of adding Wall is that he will be an expiring contract for $47 million in the 2022 season, which would make him a valuable trade piece at that point. One player the Sixers could target in a deal with the Rockets is Porter Jr., who is just 21-years old and averaged 16.6 points-per-game last season. His shooting is not great, however, as he made just 31% of his threes on 6.2 attempts last season.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
