Atlanta Hawks Interested in Trading for Ben Simmons
Buckle up. According to legendary reporter Marc Stein, the Atlanta Hawks are interested in Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons. No, Trae Young isn't going anywhere. The two guards would share the court at the same time.
However, it would cost the Hawks a pretty penny. Despite Simmons being a distressed asset, 76ers General Manager Daryl Morey has made it clear that he isn't taking anything less than what Simmons is worth. Simmons is in the second year of a 5-year, $177 million contract, so the Hawks would be forced to part with some fan favorites (and likely draft picks as well).
In case you forgot, the last time Simmons played in an NBA game was last year's playoff series against the Hawks. The 76ers blew a second-half lead of Game 7 in Philadelphia, where Simmons seemed completely averse to taking shot attempts. As I've written before, the Hawks undoubtedly broke the 76ers 'Process.'
Unfortunately for the league, the 76ers have found a diamond in the rough with point guard Tyrese Maxey. Although the 76ers pace has slowed down tremendously, their offensive rating has only dipped slightly from 112.5 to 110.6. Sure, their record isn't as strong this season, but it's hard to fault the 76ers (or any team) for struggling during this turbulent season.
If Morey is able to dump Simmons' contract and infuse the organization with assets, then the 76ers would be propelled back into the driver's seat of the Eastern Conference. But what does it mean for the Hawks? They desperately need size, defense, and elite playmaking. All three attributes are part of Simmons' game.
But right now details are still sparse. We don't know if Simmons even wants to play in Atlanta. To be fair, we've been rough on him. Not to mention, we're located about 3,000 miles from his preferred destination of California.
It's safe to say you can expect a blizzard of trade rumors leaking between now and the trade deadline on February 10. As always, we have you covered here on Sports Illustrated's AllHawks.com.
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