Philadelphia 76ers (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
There is an inevitable breakup coming between Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers.
While speculation has been swirling throughout the offseason, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported a bombshell on Tuesday with news that Simmons intends to never play for the team again and that he will skip training camp. Wojnarowski noted that Simmons has not spoken to the team since August and that they are well aware of his desire to play elsewhere next season and beyond. This situation has gotten as ugly as possible, and the 76ers will have to face the music and trade Simmons sooner rather than later.
The 76ers clearly have not found an offer to their liking for the 25-year-old All-Star, and they certainly do not have much leverage after this recent news. General manager Daryl Morey has been known to hold a stiff asking price, which will only add more tension to this ongoing back and forth between Simmons and the 76ers. With that being said, here are five players they are the likeliest to get in return in any deal for Simmons if they do eventually trade him.
Philadelphia 76ers: 5 players they are likeliest to get in a Ben Simmons trade – Malik Beasley
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been among the teams most actively mentioned in Simmons rumors, but the asking price is seemingly too steep.
The Athletic’s John Krawczynski and Danny Leroux (subscription required) recently reported that while the Wolves hold interest in a Simmons trade, they are reluctant to part ways with several core pieces on their roster to get him. That includes franchise cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns along with Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell. That eliminates Minnesota’s top three players, which might make it hard to get any interest from Philadelphia to get the wheels turning on a deal.
If a deal between these two teams will eventually happen, it will likely be centered around sending guard Malik Beasley to Philadelphia. While Beasley is not a star-studded name, he has shown glimpses of star potential since being traded to Minnesota last season. In 51 appearances with the franchise, Beasley has averaged 19.9 points on .449/.406/.824 shooting splits, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per contest. Making approximately $15 million annually over the next three years, Beasley is Minnesota’s best trade chip financially aside from their trio.
For Philadelphia, Beasley could slide into the starting five and immediately provide a boost on the offensive end with his scoring. As evidenced by his aforementioned splits, the guard can score the ball at a high level, particularly from behind the arc, which would help him transition seamlessly into this starting five in Philadelphia. There would have to be some additional pieces included on Minnesota’s end to get Morey to even pick up the phone, but Beasley is a player that could very well be on his way to Philadelphia sometime soon.
Philadelphia 76ers</a>.</p>
<p>While speculation has been swirling throughout the offseason, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported a bombshell on Tuesday with news that<a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/22/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-trade/"https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1440340920805691393" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Simmons intends to never play for the team again and that he will skip training camp.</a> Wojnarowski noted that Simmons has not spoken to the team since August and that they are well aware of his desire to play elsewhere next season and beyond. This situation has gotten as ugly as possible, and the 76ers will have to face the music and trade Simmons sooner rather than later.</p>
<p>The 76ers clearly have not found an offer to their liking for the 25-year-old All-Star, and they certainly do not have much leverage after this recent news. General manager Daryl Morey has been known to hold a stiff asking price, which will only add more tension to this ongoing back and forth between Simmons and the 76ers. With that being said, here are five players they are the likeliest to get in return in any deal for Simmons if they do eventually trade him.</p>
<h2>Philadelphia 76ers: 5 players they are likeliest to get in a Ben Simmons trade – Malik Beasley</h2>
<p>The Minnesota Timberwolves have been among the teams most actively mentioned in Simmons rumors, but the asking price is seemingly too steep.</p>
<p>The Athletic’s John Krawczynski and Danny Leroux (subscription required) recently reported that while the Wolves hold interest in a Simmons trade, <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/22/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-trade/"https://theathletic.com/2693883/2021/07/09/could-the-timberwolves-add-ben-simmons-a-look-at-the-fit-price-and-context/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">they are reluctant to part ways with several core pieces on their roster to get him.</a> That includes franchise cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns along with Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell. That eliminates Minnesota’s top three players, which might make it hard to get any interest from Philadelphia to get the wheels turning on a deal.</p>
<p>If a deal between these two teams will eventually happen, it will likely be centered around sending guard <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/22/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-trade/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/beaslma01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Malik Beasley</a> to Philadelphia. While Beasley is not a star-studded name, he has shown glimpses of star potential since being traded to Minnesota last season. In 51 appearances with the franchise, Beasley has averaged 19.9 points on .449/.406/.824 shooting splits, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per contest. Making approximately $15 million annually over the next three years, Beasley is Minnesota’s best trade chip financially aside from their trio.</p>
<p>For Philadelphia, Beasley could slide into the starting five and immediately provide a boost on the offensive end with his scoring. As evidenced by his aforementioned splits, the guard can score the ball at a high level, particularly from behind the arc, which would help him transition seamlessly into this starting five in Philadelphia. There would have to be some additional pieces included on Minnesota’s end to get Morey to even pick up the phone, but Beasley is a player that could very well be on his way to Philadelphia sometime soon.</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/2021/09/22/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-trade/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Malcolm Brogdon </a>
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<img class="wp-image-435788 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/22/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-trade/"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%2F1192098593.jpeg" alt="Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons, Indiana Pacers: Malcolm Brogdon" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1192098593.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1192098593-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Philadelphia 76ers (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Philadelphia 76ers: 5 players they are likeliest to get in a Ben Simmons trade – Malcolm Brogdon</h2>
<p>The Indiana Pacers are already on the record with interest in Simmons, so they will likely come calling once again after these latest developments from Wojnarowski.</p>
<p>Jason Dumas from KRON4 News previously reported that the<a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/22/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-trade/"https://twitter.com/JDumasReports/status/1410976218740973568" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Pacers offered a package</a> including <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/22/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-trade/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/brogdma01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Malcolm Brogdon</a> and a first-round pick for Simmons. The 76ers obviously rejected the proposal as this news came during the early stages of the offseason. Some believed that this might be the best offer that Philadelphia could receive for Simmons and that the team should have accepted it initially. Perhaps that deal is still on the table and is something the teams could revisit.</p>
<p>Brogdon would be a solid player for the 76ers if he were to be dealt there. The guard is coming off his best season yet after averaging 21.2 points on a .453/.388/.864 slash line, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. With Simmons leaving, Brogdon would come in and give the 76ers a quality starting point guard that could score the basketball at a high level while also providing facilitating. Brogdon even had a 50/40/90 season with the Milwaukee Bucks back in 2018-19, meaning he can be an incredibly efficient player offensively.</p>
<p>The biggest concern in any Brogdon deal would be his health, considering that he has not played in more than 64 games in a season throughout his five-year career. The guard has battled through various injury woes, and those concerns might not be something that the 76ers are too keen on bringing aboard. Still, the 28-year-old would give the team a solid guard that could come in and immediately make an impact on both sides of the ball. If the 76ers want him, they could likely get him for Simmons.</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/2021/09/22/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-trade/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Buddy Hield </a>
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<img class="wp-image-410953 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/22/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-trade/"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%2F1191347875.jpeg" alt="Sacramento Kings: Buddy Hield, Philadelphia 76ers: Raul Neto" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1191347875.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1191347875-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">PHILADELPHIA, PA – NOVEMBER 27 (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Philadelphia 76ers: 5 players they are likeliest to get in a Ben Simmons trade – Buddy Hield</h2>
<p>The Sacramento Kings have been briefly mentioned in the Simmons rumors over the past few months, and they could be a legitimate destination for him.</p>
<p>Although the 76ers would love to get their hands on De’Aaron Fox or Tyrese Haliburton in any deal, it seems like those two are not available at the moment. Instead, the Kings would rather prefer to do a deal in a package centered around sharpshooter <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/22/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-trade/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hieldbu01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Buddy Hield</a>. The Athletic’s Shams Charania (subscription required) said last year that<a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/22/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-trade/"https://theathletic.com/1601626/2020/02/12/inside-kings-landing-frustrated-ownership-injury-woes-group-text-chats-and-luka-doncic-what-ifs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Hield had been growing unhappy with the Kings</a> and may eventually request a trade. Although he never outright requested that trade, swapping him for Simmons would be worthwhile.</p>
<p>Hield has had a solid career to this point by averaging 16 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per contest over five seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings. While the guard has earned a reputation as a negative defender, there is no denying the damage he can do on the offensive end, particularly from deep. Hield has shot 40.6 percent from 3-point range on 7.4 tries for his career, having asserted himself as one of the best outside shooters in the game today.</p>
<p>Hield’s fit with the 76ers would make sense because this is a team that needs to improve their spacing. While they have done a solid job of surrounding big man Joel Embiid with shooting by adding players like Tobias Harris, Seth Curry, and Danny Green, Hield would take it to another level entirely. An Embiid-Hield tandem on the offensive end would be a lethal one-two punch that has the potential to be nightmarish for opposing defenses. The 76ers might want more than just Hield in any deal with the Kings, but his fit in Philly is certainly ideal.</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/2021/09/22/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-trade/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> John Wall </a>
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<img class="wp-image-435664 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/22/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-trade/"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%2F1302710577.jpeg" alt="Philadelphia 76ers: Tobias Harris, Houston Rockets: John Wall" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1302710577.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1302710577-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – FEBRUARY 17 (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Philadelphia 76ers: 5 players they are likeliest to get in a Ben Simmons trade – John Wall</h2>
<p>Speculation connected <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/22/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-trade/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/walljo01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">John Wall</a> to the 76ers after it was announced that the Houston Rockets plan on sitting the five-time All-Star as they try to trade him.</p>
<p>On paper, Wall on the 76ers has some interesting things about it. One of the biggest knocks on Simmons is that he is not a scoring guard, which is the opposite of Wall. For his career, the guard has averaged 19.1 points per game and would help bring some scoring to the guard position. He could also help improve their playmaking and facilitating without Simmons, considering Wall has averaged 9.1 assists for his career as well. Both of those attributes sound desirable, but trading for Wall would also be quite the gamble.</p>
<p>The 31-year-old has been plagued by injuries over the past four seasons, which has limited him to just 113 regular-season games. That includes just 40 in 2020-21, and the 76ers would have to consider Wall’s health issue in any deal. There would also be concerns with his potential fit with Embiid, given his lackluster jump shot. Lastly, the veteran is on the books for $91 million over the next two seasons, which is a hefty amount for a player that has spent the major of the last four seasons on the sidelines.</p>
<p>While the Rockets would likely accept a Wall for Simmons swap in a heartbeat,<a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/22/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-trade/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/19/philadelphia-76ers-john-wall-trade/"> the 76ers should avoid this one for a handful of reasons.</a></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/2021/09/22/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-trade/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> CJ McCollum </a>
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<img class="wp-image-289106 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/22/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-trade/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2661,w_3992/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F01%2F882669892-portland-trail-blazers-v-philadelphia-76ers.jpg.jpg" alt="Philadelphia 76ers: Robert Covington, Portland Trail Blazers: C.J. McCollum" width="3992" height="2661"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3992px;">PHILADELPHIA, PA – NOVEMBER 22 (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Philadelphia 76ers: 5 players they are likeliest to get in a Ben Simmons trade – CJ McCollum</h2>
<p>For several reasons, a trade between the 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers for Simmons seems like the most logical scenario.</p>
<p>While Philadelphia would love to get their hands on Damian Lillard in a deal, it seems like he will not be budging and requesting a trade anytime soon. Instead, they would likely have to make the swap centered around <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/22/philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-trade/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mccolcj01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">CJ McCollum</a>. While he has never been an All-Star in the guard-heavy West, McCollum has developed into a star since winning the 2015-16 Most Improved Player Award. He has averaged over 20 points in six consecutive seasons, including a career-high 23.1 points during the 2020-21 season.</p>
<p>McCollum would be a great fit with Embiid and the 76ers. His score-first mentality would help put points on the board that they lacked with Simmons. The most desirable part of his game clearly is his outside shot, as McCollum is a 39.8 percent shooter on 5.6 attempts for his career. The guard is coming off a year where he shot 40.2 percent on a career-high 8.9 attempts per contest, and numbers like that would undeniably help open the floor up for Embiid offensively. McCollum and Embiid would be a formidable tandem on the offensive end due to how well they complement each other.</p>
<p>Although he is not Lillard, McCollum would be another solid option for the 76ers in any potential deal for Simmons.</p>
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