Three Best Fits for Ben Simmons to Revitalize His NBA Career

The Ben Simmons saga continues to trek on with NBA free agency set to open up later today.

While still under a massive contract in Philadelphia, the Sixers have all but said that they're ready to move on from the former No. 1 overall pick after his shooting, along with his confidence vanished during the playoffs against Atlanta.

At the same time, President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey understands there's still plenty of value in Simmons as a long term play, so they won't just give him away. For his career, Simmons is averaging just under 16 points per game, along with 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists in four years with Philadelphia.

Simmons enters this year at +20000, or 200/1 odds to win NBA MVP. While it may feel foolish now, placing someone of his talent in a position to thrive away from the relentless Philly fans may get the foundation going for a breakout year.

With all of this in mind, here are three potential trade destinations for the 24-year old that could revitalize his career, and perhaps, just maybe, give off terrific value on his current odds to win MVP.

New York Knicks

The Knicks are rumored to be highly active in the point guard free agency market, with potential ties to Lonzo Ball, Kyle Lowry, Dennis Schroder, as well as re-signing Derrick Rose.

Tom Thibodeau has a terrific history with point guard development, from Derrick Rose's MVP-caliber years in Chicago, and then back again, to turning around journeyman players like D.J. Augustin, Nate Robinson, C.J. Watson and Aaron Brooks. Simmons' tenacity and willingness on the defensive end would be a dream for head coach Tom Thibodeau, and his ability to play pick and roll with Julius Randle would work wonders for creating plenty of shot opportunities for the rest of his teammates.

It's tough to gauge who the Knicks would have to give up in the deal, but Immanuel Quickley along with RJ Barrett would be the focal point of the conversation. Quickley and Barrett provide outside shooting right near 40% from 3-point range.

A Simmons turnaround in the mecca of basketball would gauge everyone's attention, creating enough buzz to merrit serious MVP consideration if the Knicks, and Simmons continue to improve.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls added a second All-Star to the mix in trading for Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic, but they still missed the playoffs, as well as what would have been the No. 8 pick in the draft (Franz Wagner). Zach LaVine was a top-five scorer in the league a season ago, but the Bulls have not gotten closer to the playoffs since he's been on the team. Would a move of Simmons for LaVine potentially open up unseen avenues for both of these Eastern Conference squads?

Like Thibodeau, Billy Donavan has had success with point guards in his many years in Oklahoma City with Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander standing out most.

Last year, it was a struggle as Coby White in his second year needed major adjustments to being a point guard rather than a lead guard. There was improvement, no doubt, but it's still a work in progress for a 20-year old player on a team ready to get back into postseason contention.

Portland Trail Blazers

Simmons and Dame together in the same backcourt would be a nightmare for opposing defenses. It also would help solve the Blazers' biggest issue over the last several years with more closeout defense in the postseason.

Simmons would be a willing distributor, allowing Dame to get wide open shots where he wouldn't have to chuck it from the logo (even though they go in).

C.J. McCollum may not be the sizzle name coming back for Philadelphia, but there's no denying that his outside shooting and ability to space the defense would be incredibly useful for the Sixers, who could still land a veteran point guard that can also shoot a respectable percentage from downtown.

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