NBA rumors: 5 sensible Ben Simmons trades

Toronto Raptors

The Raptors’ interest in Simmons is intriguing, given that they still employ Pascal Siakam. Rumors have swirled around Siakam recently too, so maybe the Raptors are thinking of swapping Siakam with Simmons. Or maybe it’s all smoke as they gear up for the next phase of their franchise, headlined by the No. 4 pick in this year’s draft that they now own.

Per Stein, Toronto’s desire for Simmons is less intense than the first four teams in this piece, but the Sixers may be more open to a deal with them than any of the aforementioned four. Why? Because of Kyle Lowry.

Lowry is one of the most accomplished vets in the league, a Philadelphia native, and an excellent hypothetical fit with the Sixers. Since 2015 he’s hit 38.3 percent of his 3s (7.5 attempts per game), playing off high-usage stars like DeMar DeRozan, Kawhi Leonard and most recently Pascal Siakam. He’s also been a superb defender for most of his career, especially adept at sizing up against bigger wings and centers.

He’s also just fine in a traditional point guard role, making him especially attractive to a Sixers team that’s sorely lacked that level of offensive normalcy. If the team needs a change-of-pace bucket, he can get one (and likely draw a foul while he’s at it). If Embiid wants to run a two-man game with him, it’ll probably work. If he needs to space the floor for Embiid or Tobias Harris, that’s more than doable. He’s such a clean fit with so many teams, essentially the star version of George Hill.

When Sixers rumors pop up, there are two names that get mentioned most frequently: Lillard and Lowry. That Lowry gets that much buzz, even at 35 years old, is a testament to not only his reputation, but also his prospects as he ages. Daryl Morey tried to get him at the trade deadline, but Masai Ujiri ultimately held onto him.

Since Lowry is now a free agent, the only way to get him to Philadelphia is through a sign-and-trade. Those trades are typically complex for a few reasons: 1) The team receiving the S&T’d player is hard-capped at the tax apron, a line that the Sixers are already pretty close to, and 2) The trading team rarely receives anything close to fair value for the departing player, because the player has all the leverage to execute the deal.

But would the Sixers really trade Simmons for Lowry? When the Lowry rumors first popped up it was with the intent to play Lowry, Simmons and Embiid all together. For that idea to shift so drastically in just a few months is scary, but it’s also how the NBA works. Players are untouchable until they’re not.

I don’t think the Sixers would trade Simmons to Toronto, but for the sake of the exercise, let’s assume they can work out a deal. Even then, Lowry alone is not nearly enough value for the Sixers. Akin to the above Pacers deal, maybe the Raptors can check off two boxes in one swoop: trading for Simmons and trading Siakam in the same deal.

Let’s bring back an old friend from Portland. Maybe this isn’t the summer of Lillard, but it’s very likely to be the summer of CJ McCollum. If they can’t pair Simmons with Lillard, would they be amiable to Siakam? We know the Sixers would embrace McCollum, and though the money gets tight with Lowry already bound for Philly, it’s doable.

The Blazers get a dynamo 4-man, the Sixers add two elite perimeter players and the Raptors get excellent value for an older point guard who was going to leave anyway. This looks like a massive win for Philly on the surface, but functionally they should be able to get Lowry without trading anything. From their perspective, it’s broken down into getting McCollum for Simmons while trading Green and Hill to Toronto. Toronto, meanwhile, upgrades from Siakam to Simmons by losing a guy who they might not have been able to keep anyway.

Whew. That was a lot. There’s a lot of moving parts to all these trades, which is to be expected in a league as unpredictable as the NBA. Teams’ directions and desires can change on a whim. From each front office mentioned in this piece, you can probably get someone who loves one of the trades, someone who thinks there’s a solid trade in here, and someone else who wants me fired for even considering making it public. That’s what makes the offseason so fun. As a wise man once said: Anything is possible.