A Trade Scenario Involving Ben Simmons, D'Angelo Russell Picks Up Steam

It has been trading season in the NBA for quite some time now. Which means it is also hypothetical season as well. As the trade market has been relatively quiet so far this season, many publications are practically begging for deals to come in as predicted trades continue to get thrown out into the wild world of the internet.

Recently, a hypothetical deal involving the Golden State Warriors and the Philadelphia 76ers picked up some steam. As the Warriors look to potentially deal one of their offseason acquisitions, D'Angelo Russell, a few writers are putting together potential packages the Warriors could come up with.

TrueHoop's David Thorpe had an interesting scenario where the Warriors call up the 76ers and offer a package including Russell in exchange for one of Philly's most prominent stars, Ben Simmons.

Despite inking Simmons to a max deal over the summer, many are under the belief that the oversized point guard isn't necessarily untouchable when it comes to the trading game. Some believe that if a deal is too good to pass up, the Sixers would have to strongly consider dealing Simmons to make their team better.

Since the Sixers need help with shooting in order to create space specifically for Joel Embiid on the court, Thorpe believes that dishing out Simmons for a 'true' point guard in Russell makes tons of sense.

The hypothetical package coming from Golden State would include a 23-year-old D'Angelo Russell, who is currently averaging 23 points-per-game. A six-foot-nine-inch power forward in Kevon Looney, and the Warriors' 2020 lottery pick -- all in exchange for Philadelphia's 23-year-old point guard, Ben Simmons.

Will it ever happen? The chances are improbable. For starters, Simmons has a lot more value to the 76ers than most want to believe. Sure, he has been stubborn to open up his game by shooting outside of the paint more -- but there's also a behind-the-scenes factor that plays in as well.

Most don't see this by watching, but Simmons is actually one of the more vocal leaders within the Sixers locker room, despite what the public says about his personality. Plus, Simmons offers a ton of value on the defensive side of the ball.

As Sixers' head coach Brett Brown preaches a 'defense-first' mentality to his guys, Simmons is undoubtedly living up to the expectations of being one of the league's better defenders. The hope is that his range on offense will expand over time. So trading Simmons becomes a lot harder than many may believe.