Looking at the Top Players Each Inquiring Team Could Offer in a Ben Simmons Trade

Author:
Justin Grasso
Publish date:
Dec 14, 2021 6:16 PM EST

The Philadelphia 76ers had hoped that by now, Ben Simmons would be back on the floor for them after requesting a trade back in the summer. Unfortunately, nothing has gone according to plan on the Simmons front so far.

Not only does Simmons remain off the floor for the Sixers 27 games into the 2021-2022 NBA season, but trade talks have been paused for quite some time now. As Sixers President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey seeks an All-Star caliber player in return for Simmons, he has yet to receive an offer he desires.

However, according to several reports, trade talks surrounding Simmons have been heating up lately. And Shams Charania of The Athletic recently named seven teams that are showing interest in Simmons. As the Sixers want top prospects in a deal for or centered around Simmons, let's take a look at the possible (and highly unlikely) prospects the 76ers could target based on the seven inquiring teams.

New York Knicks

Julius Randle

RJ Barrett

Kemba Walker

Unless another team is involved, it's difficult to imagine the Sixers and the Knicks striking a deal centered around Ben Simmons. Julius Randle has developed into an impressive prospect and notched his first All-Star appearance last year, making him fit the bill of what Morey's looking for.

But I can't imagine a scenario where the Sixers want Randle to join a team that has Tobias Harris already on it. Also, I doubt the Knicks want to deal their 27-year-old rising star. As for Barrett and Walker, it's unlikely the Sixers are interested.

Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James

Anthony Davis

Russell Westbrook

Unless LeBron James suddenly decides he wants to re-route once again, I can confidently say that there is zero chance the Lakers will consider moving the future Hall of Famer. And unless LeBron decides he no longer wants to play with Anthony Davis, the star big man won't be going anywhere.

That leaves Russell Westbrook as the only "realistic" trade option for the Sixers in this case. Westbrook might give the Sixers more than what Simmons has been giving them lately, which is absolutely nothing, but Philly's spacing wouldn't get much better by sending Tyrese Maxey back to the bench in favor of starting Westbrook.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Karl Anthony-Towns

Anthony Edwards

D'Angelo Russell

Considering the Sixers already employ Joel Embiid, they probably wouldn't consider Karl Anthony-Towns if that was even a realistic scenario. As for Anthony Edwards, that could be a home-run return for Ben Simmons. However, Minnesota has labeled the former first-overall pick as untouchable earlier this year.

Philly's most realistic return from Minnesota is D'Angelo Russell, but the Timberwolves have made it known in the past that they don't want to lose Russell. Instead, they would like to build around him as one of their core players. So, unless a third team gets involved or the Timberwolves create a package centered around Russell, Simmons won't be Minnesota-bound anytime soon.

Portland Trail Blazers

Damian Lillard

CJ McCollum

The Trail Blazers reportedly rejected a Simmons trade for CJ McCollum and several draft picks and swaps during the offseason. Trade talks between the Sixers and the Blazers didn't go very far because the 76ers gave Portland the run around since they really only wanted one player, and that's Damian Lillard.

McCollum could help the Sixers, but they reportedly remain uninterested in the 30-year-old guard. Instead, Philly keeps its sights set on Lillard, who remains off the table. I'm confident Daryl Morey will remain patient when it comes to the Simmons saga. Therefore, in the event that Lillard finally comes to his senses and accepts the Blazers aren't nearing championship contention, the Sixers will be there waiting with a possible Simmons-centric package to acquire Lillard.

Sacramento Kings

DeAaron Fox

Tyrese Haliburton

The stocks are down in Sacramento. Not only are the Kings entering "blow it up" territory, but their previously thriving young prospects aren't looking as sharp this season. Over the summer, DeAaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton were reportedly off the table. Soon, that might change.

Fox's production is down by five points this year. He's also shooting a career-low of 27-percent from beyond the arc. As for Haliburton, his sophomore numbers look nearly identical to his rookie year production. It's unclear if the Kings are ready to put their stars on the table or not, but if Morey is still interested in the two prospects listed above, then everything is definitely falling into his favor lately.

Indiana Pacers

Domantas Sabonis

Caris LeVert

The Indiana Pacers are reportedly ready to shake up the roster and make some significant moves to get a fresh new look on the team. They've been interested in Ben Simmons, becoming one of the first teams to reach out and negotiate with the Sixers.

Unfortunately for the Pacers, they would need another team to get involved. Adding Domantas Sabonis wouldn't help the Sixers from a fit standpoint. Caris LeVert would be a good starting point, but the Sixers aren't interested in taking on a package of players and picks currently. Indiana would be willing to get a trade done as soon as possible, but they don't have much to offer Philly at this time.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Darius Garland

Collin Sexton

There have been a lot of mixed reports in the past regarding Philly's interest in Collin Sexton. Some say they like Sexton, while others believe the Sixers are skeptical about him becoming a long-term answer at the point guard position. Whatever their interest level was before, it more than likely doesn't matter as Sexton won't see the court for the remainder of the year. Trading one player who has given you nothing for another player who won't provide you with anything this year is a wash.

That leaves the Sixers with Darius Garland, who has been labeled as one of Cleveland's very few untouchables. If the Cavs were to get off to a bad start to the year, the Sixers probably would've had a chance to land Garland. However, thanks to Garland's third-year emergence, the Cavaliers have shocked the NBA by getting off to a 16-12 start. A lot can change as the season progresses, but it's in Cleveland's best interest to hold onto the former fifth-overall pick.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.