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There’s a good chance that the Philadelphia 76ers are going to trade enigmatic point guard Ben Simmons at some point this summer.
Simmons, 24, is coming off a disastrous postseason performance for the underperforming 76ers, having averaged a mere 11.9 points while shooting 34% from the free-throw line (that’s a real thing).
Despite this, there’s going to be interest in the three-time All-Star’s services. He’s a reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year finalist, can distribute with the best of them and just turned down an opportunity to play for Australia in the 2020 Summer Olympics to work on his game.
According to this note from Jason Dumas of KRON4 News, the Philadelphia 76ers already turned down a blockbuster trade offer from the Indiana Pacers that included star guard Malcolm Brogdon and a first-round pick.
“The Sixers have already fielded offers for Ben Simmons but continue to hold a stance that they will only trade him for an all-star caliber player. They most recently turned down a deal with the Pacers that included Malcolm Brogdon and a 1st round pick,” Dumas noted.
The insider did not note what first-round pick was offered to Philadelphia. It stands to reason that the offer was the 13th pick in this month’s NBA Draft. Obviously, other parts would have had to head back to the 76ers in order for the salaries to work.
Why did the Philadelphia 76ers turn down Ben Simmons trade offer?
If Dumas’ information is correct that Philadelphia wants an All-Star caliber player in return for Simmons, there’s an open question why it turned down Indiana’s offer.
Brogdon, 28, averaged 21.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists while shooting 45% from the field last season. That included a stellar 39% mark from distance. This performance led many to believe that the Virginia product was an All-Star snub in 2020-21. Add in a lottery pick, and this seemed to be a pretty solid offer from Indiana.
That doesn’t even take into account the fact that Brogdon is a much better fit with Joel Embiid given his outside shooting ability and willingness to be aggressive.
What can the Philadelphia 76ers reasonably expect in a Ben Simmons trade?
It is realistic to believe that 76ers front office head Daryl Morey will receive a better offer than this? I am not too sure. The Golden State Warriors have been linked to Simmons in recent days. They boast the seventh and 14th picks in the draft.
Right now, one of those selections and an Andrew Wiggins would be the most-likely pieces to headline a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. Objectively speaking, Brogdon is a better all-around player than the Warriors’ wing. Perhaps, Philadelphia values a top-10 pick more? Time will tell on that front.
What we do know is that the 76ers are in the beginning stages of what promises to be a franchise-altering offseason. There’s no reason to believe Simmons and Embiid can be the core two for a legit championship contender, especially after comments from the latter following Philadelphia’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Finding the right mix of talent to work behind Embiid has to be Morey’s No. 1 goal. On the surface, Brogdon would have made a ton of sense. It’s now back to the drawing board for the Philadelphia 76ers.