Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
The Philadelphia 76ers aren’t supposed to be exploring trades for Ben Simmons. He is 24 years old, a three-time All-Star and two-time All-Defensive First-Team selection. He was a major factor in the 76ers finishing with the Eastern Conference’s best record this past season.
He was also a major factor in their seven-game loss to the Atlanta Hawks, a talented but inexperienced team the 76ers should have rolled over. Simmons should have been torching the Hawks in transition, directing the offense in the half-court and shutting down every action the Hawks tried to run defensively.
The Philadelphia 76ers have to consider trades for Ben Simmons. Which teams could put together a package for the polarizing young player?
Instead, the 76ers have gone home, the Hawks have advanced, and every media outlet that covers basketball is showing replays of Simmons passing up an open dunk to pass to a teammate in traffic. It was the latest example of a player so traumatized by his inability to shoot free throws (25 for 73 in the postseason and a frequent victim of intentional fouling) that he passed up shooting altogether.
The 76ers are at a crossroads. Their other star player, Joel Embiid, just finished second in MVP voting and was dominant in the playoffs despite playing on a torn meniscus against the Hawks. Embiid is one of the league’s best post players, but it means he needs to be surrounded by shooting. Simmons’ many other gifts helped the two coexist for a time, but ultimately if he won’t shoot (can’t, won’t, however it slices) Philadelphia cannot win a title with this pairing.
Can the 76ers trade Simmons, even as the distressed asset he currently is after a terrible postseason, and get back enough value? Perhaps not, and the 76ers could try to hang tight and recoup his value before next season’s trade deadline. If they don’t and want to make a move now, what other teams might play ball?
Teams that won’t trade for Ben Simmons
There are a number of teams that are immediately out of the running to trade for Simmons. The first are those teams offering pennies on the dollar; the Houston Rockets aren’t trading John Wall for Ben Simmons. For all of his shooting problems, he was the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up this season, averaged 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists, and was a strongly positive player according to advanced metrics.
At the other end of the spectrum, the difficulties in building a team around Simmons mean he won’t command top dollar. The Portland Trail Blazers aren’t crafting a Damian Lillard trade package around Simmons; the Washington Wizards aren’t sending Bradley Beal so that they can pair Simmons and Russell Westbrook.
Some teams are too early in their rebuild; the Orlando Magic and OKC Thunder want time to draft and develop young players, and paying Simmons the max doesn’t fit their timetable. A few others have a team build that would fit terribly with Simmons; the Miami Heat or Memphis Grizzlies come to mind. Finally, the 76ers aren’t likely to trade him to a fellow Eastern Conference contender like the Milwaukee Bucks or Brooklyn Nets even if they were so inclined.
With that being said, there are at least a handful of candidates with reasonable trade packages to send. Philadelphia would be selling low, but not egregiously so, and perhaps the better fits they can engineer would be worth it. Let’s start with the most popular “fake trade” tossed around, with the 76ers and the Trail Blazers both making a change after disappointing ends to their postseasons.
major factor in their seven-game loss</a> to the Atlanta Hawks, a talented but inexperienced team the 76ers should have rolled over. Simmons should have been torching the Hawks in transition, directing the offense in the half-court and shutting down every action the Hawks tried to run defensively.</p>
<h2>The Philadelphia 76ers have to consider trades for Ben Simmons. Which teams could put together a package for the polarizing young player?</h2>
<p>Instead, the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/06/24/philadelphia-76ers-trade-ben-simmons/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/philadelphia-76ers/">76ers have gone home, the Hawks have advanced, and every media outlet that covers basketball is showing replays of Simmons passing up an open dunk to pass to a teammate in traffic. It was the latest example of a player so traumatized by his inability to shoot free throws (25 for 73 in the postseason and a frequent victim of intentional fouling) that he passed up shooting altogether.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ben Simmons 4th quarter this series:<br>Game 1: 2-2 FG<br>Game 2: 0-0 FG<br>Game 3: 1-1 FG<br>Game 4: 0-0 FG<br>Game 5: 0-0 FG<br>Game 6: 0-0 FG<br>Game 7: 0-0 FG</p>
<p>— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/06/24/philadelphia-76ers-trade-ben-simmons/"https://twitter.com/tomhaberstroh/status/1406803883121381379?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>June 21, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/06/24/philadelphia-76ers-trade-ben-simmons/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p>The 76ers are at a crossroads. Their other star player, Joel Embiid, just finished second in MVP voting and was dominant in the playoffs despite playing on a torn meniscus against the Hawks. Embiid is one of the league’s best post players, but it means he needs to be surrounded by shooting. Simmons’ many other gifts helped the two coexist for a time, but ultimately if he won’t shoot (can’t, won’t, however it slices) Philadelphia cannot win a title with this pairing.</p>
<p>Can the 76ers trade Simmons, even as the distressed asset he currently is after a terrible postseason, and get back enough value? Perhaps not, and the 76ers could try to hang tight and recoup his value before next season’s trade deadline. If they don’t and want to make a move now, what other teams might play ball?</p>
<h2>Teams that won’t trade for Ben Simmons</h2>
<p>There are a number of teams that are immediately out of the running to trade for Simmons. The first are those teams offering pennies on the dollar; the Houston Rockets aren’t trading John Wall for Ben Simmons. For all of his shooting problems, he was the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up this season, averaged 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists, and was a strongly positive player according to advanced metrics.</p>
<p>At the other end of the spectrum, the difficulties in building a team around Simmons mean he won’t command top dollar. The Portland Trail Blazers aren’t crafting a Damian Lillard trade package around Simmons; the Washington Wizards aren’t sending Bradley Beal so that they can pair Simmons and Russell Westbrook.</p>
<p>Some teams are too early in their rebuild; the Orlando Magic and OKC Thunder want time to draft and develop young players, and paying Simmons the max doesn’t fit their timetable. A few others have a team build that would fit terribly with Simmons; the Miami Heat or Memphis Grizzlies come to mind. Finally, the 76ers aren’t likely to trade him to a fellow Eastern Conference contender like the Milwaukee Bucks or Brooklyn Nets even if they were so inclined.</p>
<p>With that being said, there are at least a handful of candidates with reasonable trade packages to send. Philadelphia would be selling low, but not egregiously so, and perhaps the better fits they can engineer would be worth it. Let’s start with the most popular “fake trade” tossed around, with the 76ers and the Trail Blazers both making a change after disappointing ends to their postseasons.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/06/24/philadelphia-76ers-trade-ben-simmons/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Portland Trail Blazers </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-431270" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/06/24/philadelphia-76ers-trade-ben-simmons/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1309650170.jpeg" alt="CJ McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1309650170.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1309650170-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Teams that could trade for Ben Simmons: Portland Trail Blazers</h2>
<p>The Portland Trail Blazers flamed out in the first round for the fourth time in five years, losing in six games to the Denver Nuggets despite Damian Lillard’s heroics. Currently, the only step to shake things up has been firing the head coach; if Portland wants to do more, it will likely need to trade one of their core pieces.</p>
<p>Moving CJ McCollum would be radical but ultimately likely necessary if the Trail Blazers want to compete for a title. The 6’3″ McCollum is a minus defender who plays alongside another minus defender in Lillard. That combination has doomed Portland and shoehorned them into trying (and failing) to surround them with plus defenders.</p>
<p><strong>Proposed Trade: CJ McCollum, Nassir Little to 76ers; Ben Simmons to Trail Blazers</strong></p>
<p>McCollum and Simmons make nearly the same money, and tossing in Nassir Little would give the 76ers an upside play at replacing Simmons in the rotation with another forward down the line. On the 76ers’ side, they would immediately have a perimeter creator with some verve, something they haven’t had since Jimmy Butler left. McCollum hit 40.2 percent of his 3-pointers this past year, and bringing him in could slide Seth Curry into a super-sub bench role while McCollum runs the point.</p>
<p>The Trail Blazers get an immediate defensive upgrade, one that actually looks to make a difference. Norman Powell can be re-signed to play the 2 with Simmons and Covington an elite defensive pairing on the wing. Jusuf Nurkic can be moved down the line for a stretchier big man if Zach Collins doesn’t grow into that role, and Simmons can play small-ball 5 with bench units. It has the potential to be a win-win for both sides if the two teams decide to make it happen.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/06/24/philadelphia-76ers-trade-ben-simmons/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Cleveland Cavaliers </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-406974" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/06/24/philadelphia-76ers-trade-ben-simmons/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1182057243.jpeg" alt="Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1182057243.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1182057243-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Teams that could trade for Ben Simmons: Cleveland Cavaliers</h2>
<p>The Philadelphia 76ers ideally need to get an offensive creator back from whatever team they trade with, as they won’t have much financial flexibility to sign one in free agency. With Simmons’ value as low as it is, however, it’s hard to find one in their prime to swap for.</p>
<p>One route they could take is trading for a younger player just on the upswing of his career, and help to foster his growth into a star. If they explore that option, then a specific Eastern Conference team is dealing with a crunch of offensive creators in their backcourt and a high level of uncertainty on the wing.</p>
<p>The Cleveland Cavaliers took point guards in back-to-back drafts in 2018 and 2019. Similar to the Portland Trail Blazers, the two guards are not likely to be viable defensively together. Armed with the third overall pick in the NBA Draft, the Cavaliers could again be in the position to add a backcourt player.</p>
<p><strong>Proposed trade: Darius Garland, Larry Nance Jr., Taurean Prince, Houston’s 2022 2nd-round pick to 76ers; Ben Simmons to Cavaliers</strong></p>
<p>With this deal the Cavaliers free up space for the draft pick, all while shoring up their defense. Simmons could start alongside Kevin Love, a shooting-5 option that would give Simmons space to operate. With the right perimeter mix, the Cavs could also play Simmons alongside Jarrett Allen and completely lock off the paint, similar to Embiid and Simmons in Philadelphia.</p>
<p>The 76ers get a dynamic scoring guard who dropped 17.4 points per game and hit 39.5 of his 4.9 3-point attempts per game. He also averaged 6.1 assists per game, top-20 in the NBA, so he could replace much of the playmaking load that Simmons carried. There are still big question marks as he develops, but he would immediately give the 76ers something they haven’t had.</p>
<p>They also get a facsimile of Simmons’ defensive impact by adding Larry Nance Jr., a talented defensive forward on a reasonable contract. Nance has improved as a shooter, hitting 36 percent of his 3-point attempts last season, and could start alongside Tobias Harris or come off the bench as a defensive substitute. Houston’s unprotected 2022 second-round pick will likely be one of the five best next season and would give Philadelphia a way to add a cheap player next offseason.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/06/24/philadelphia-76ers-trade-ben-simmons/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Golden State Warriors </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-431271" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/06/24/philadelphia-76ers-trade-ben-simmons/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1313889883.jpeg" alt="Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1313889883.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1313889883-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Teams that could trade for Ben Simmons: Golden State Warriors</h2>
<p>The Golden State Warriors are mentioned when any NBA player hits the market, and especially stars. From signing Andre Iguodala when they didn’t have cap space to adding Kevin Durant to a 73-win team, the Warriors are no strangers to making big moves. With multiple assets in their hands, they are a possibility to trade with anyone.</p>
<p>With Klay Thompson returning next season this team is setting its aim again on a title. With Thompson and Stephen Curry in the backcourt, this team can better support a player in the rotation who can’t space the floor, as they have supported Draymond Green in the past. If the Warriors think they know how to maximize a player of that general archetype, they could swing a trade for Ben Simmons and pair him with Green as a hyper-athletic 4-5.</p>
<p><strong>Proposed trade: Andrew Wiggins, 2021 first-round pick (14th), Nico Mannion to 76ers; Ben Simmons to Warriors</strong></p>
<p>Sending out Wiggins is painful for both sides, as the optics look terrible for the 76ers and the Warriors relied upon his defense and second shot creation a season ago. Yet Wiggins played arguably his best season ever a year ago for the Warriors, playing great defenses and fitting into his role while competing hard. The 76ers could have a more dynamic shot creator replace Simmons who can space the floor and not give up too much on defense.</p>
<p>The first-round pick could be used to bring in another prospect, either an older plug-and-play option such as Corey Kispert or Chris Duarte, or an upside play on a scorer such as James Bouknight or Cam Thomas. Nico Mannion, if signed to a guaranteed deal, can be a throw-in to give the 76ers another lottery ticket in their backcourt.</p>
<p>The Warriors could hope the return of Thompson and the rise of Jordan Poole make up for the loss of Wiggins’ shot creation. Steph and Klay in space with Simmons running a fast break is a truly terrible thing for opponents to deal with, and both he and Green can get the ball to those shooters in the perfect position to hit a shot. Defensively he and Green would be a menace flying around the court, and only the largest opponents would give them trouble.</p>
<p>This is the least likely of the five trades simply because both teams might say no. The 76ers would get killed by the public for dumping Simmons for “Andrew Wiggins” and the Warriors might be hamstringing themselves with two players in Green and Simmons who absolutely don’t shoot. It’s interesting to consider, however, as the Warriors will at least discuss it.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/06/24/philadelphia-76ers-trade-ben-simmons/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> San Antonio Spurs </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-428768" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/06/24/philadelphia-76ers-trade-ben-simmons/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1113,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1317707522.jpeg" alt="DeMar DeRozan, San Antonio Spurs" width="1600" height="1113" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1317707522.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1317707522-768x534.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers Photo by Elsa/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Teams that could trade for Ben Simmons: San Antonio Spurs</h2>
<p>Before we discuss any San Antonio Spurs trade, we must acknowledge that the Spurs rarely make big trades. The Kawhi Leonard trades, coming and going, were basically it as this team transitioned out of its dynastic years and into this pleasant twilight of Gregg Popovich’s career.</p>
<p>Yet with a roster flush with intriguing low-end starters on good contracts, they need a splash to mix things up. Their combination of young players gives them plenty of sweeteners to pair with a DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade.</p>
<p><strong>Proposed trade: DeMar DeRozan, Derrick White, 2021 second-round pick to 76ers; Ben Simmons to Spurs</strong></p>
<p>The 76ers’ best team was probably the 2019 group that lost in seven games to the Toronto Raptors on Kawhi Leonard’s bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce buzzer-beater, and the reason that team was so good was that they had Jimmy Butler breaking down defenses from the perimeter. DeMar DeRozan is a less dynamic version of what Butler brought, but he can be had for a significantly smaller price.</p>
<p>If the Spurs could sign-and-trade DeRozan to the 76ers on something like a 2-year, $48 million contract, they could send him and a young guard to Philly in exchange for Ben Simmons. Simmons would bring their defense from tough to elite, with Dejounte Murray and Jakob Poetl as the tent poles and Simmons wreaking havoc in between. His playmaking skills can also prop up Murray’s middling strength in that area. Even with White heading to the 76ers, the Spurs can plug in Lonnie Walker or Devin Vassell at the 2.</p>
<p>Philadelphia would have a tough shot creator on the perimeter who can fill in at the 4 in DeRozan, and with Embiid and Tobias Harris could lessen his load during the regular season and give him some more leeway when defenses tighten in the playoffs. White could start alongside Danny Green in the backcourt with Seth Curry sliding to a 6th-man role. Finally, an extra second-round pick could see the 76ers take a flier on a stretch-5 prospect.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/06/24/philadelphia-76ers-trade-ben-simmons/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Chicago Bulls </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-431272" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/06/24/philadelphia-76ers-trade-ben-simmons/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1052487630.jpeg" alt="Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1052487630.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1052487630-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Teams that could trade for Ben Simmons: Chicago Bulls</h2>
<p>It’s fair to say that very few trade ideas are original, as some fan or media member somewhere in the world has likely thought of it first. That being said, one specific trade idea floated since Ben Simmons passed his way into a postseason defeat is particularly intriguing.</p>
<p>The Athletic’s John Hollinger <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/06/24/philadelphia-76ers-trade-ben-simmons/"https://theathletic.com/2664449/2021/06/21/hollinger-ben-simmons-trade-seems-inevitable-after-the-pass-but-how-can-sixers-pull-it-off/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote about ($$$)</a> the difficulty of trading Ben Simmons, and one trade he proposed was with the Chicago Bulls. Creating a package around Zach LaVine would possibly come the closest to fair value for the 76ers while finding a landing spot for Simmons that truly fit.</p>
<p><strong>Proposed trade: Zach LaVine, Al-Farouq Aminu to 76ers; Ben Simmons, 2022 first-round pick to Bulls</strong></p>
<p>For the 76ers, this would be an excellent move. LaVine has truly grown from the inefficient chucker he was on his rookie contract to an efficient shot-creator from outside. He was a deserving All-Star this past season, He shot a scorching 41.9 percent on 8.2 3-point attempts per game this season; despite missing 14 games he ranked ninth in the league in 3-point makes and was only a whisker behind Stephen Curry in percentage.</p>
<p>The 76ers could either elevate Tyrese Maxey to the starting lineup or sign a spot starter at the point with the mid-level exception, then have Danny Green, Tobias Harris and LaVine on the wing, a dynamic combination of strong shooters. LaVine has the skillset to solve their biggest problems from this past postseason.</p>
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<p>For the Chicago Bulls, they are looking down the barrel of a massive contract for LaVine next offseason, when he will be a restricted free agent. Either they back up the Brinks truck or he will walk to a different situation. Simmons, by contrast, is under contract for four more seasons, and even though he is on a maximum contract the scale means he will top out at $38.6 million, well below what LaVine will be making on a raise.</p>
<p>LaVine is a more valuable asset right now, so Philadelphia tosses in a 2022 first-round pick to balance it out. Aminu would be included to match salaries. This is as close to a win-win deal as we can find out there, with the right optics for both sides to declare it a win.</p>
<p>The Bulls have two high-level shooters in the frontcourt with Nikola Vucevic and Lauri Markkanen, making this one of the situations best equipped to work around Simmons. If not Chicago, someone will talk themselves into making an offer for the enigmatic combination of strengths and weaknesses. A new environment could be perfect for Simmons to take the next step in his career, and necessary for the 76ers to reach their ceiling as a team.</p>
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