Hawks as Ben Simmons Suitor; Trae Getting Luka’s Trade Wish?
As the NBA trade deadline continues to approach, the Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons continue to be in a standstill. Could this pose an opportunity for the Dallas Mavericks to benefit from?
According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, one team that is viewed as an 'emerging suitor' to potentially land Simmons is the Atlanta Hawks, who currently have one of the NBA's worst defenses.
Simmons is willing to continue to rack up fines, and his total loss in salary has already exceeded $10 million. There has been no indication that a chance of course from his side of things is coming soon.
The Sixers are content with waiting for a superstar like Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal to request a trade, but neither player appears to be on track to make such a decision before the trade deadline.
Adding further complication to the Sixers' aspirations, recently it was reported that Lillard had meeting scheduled with the Portland Trail Blazers to discuss potential 'shutting it down' as his abdominal injury continues to be an issue.
There has been speculation from a long-term perspective that Lillard could angle his way to the Sixers or New York Knicks. However, he continues to make public comments reaffirming his commitment to the Trail Blazers organization.
Both Simmons and the Sixers have essentially created a holding pattern for the situation as a whole that doesn't seem to have a clean end in sight.
With Simmons being arguably the the NBA's most versatile defender, it make sense regarding potential interest from the Hawks. Having two playmakers with the abilities that
and Simmons offer is all the more intriguing, too.
As for any team, Atlanta would need to account for the limitations on offense Simmons poses. For example, is there enough spacing with Clint Capela and Simmons sharing the floor? Would Simmons be open to a small ball center role?
Keep in mind, there was a recent development surrounding the Simmons saga from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski linking the Cleveland Cavaliers as "one team to watch" as a potential trade suitor.
Among the Cavs, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers, and Sacramento Kings as other teams to keep an eye on. Based on Stein's information, the Hawks are a team to throw into the mix, too.
Although the Dallas Mavericks have not yet been among the main teams linked to Simmons as a potential trade suitor, it was reported that Luka Doncic liked the idea of playing with Simmons—expressing interest dating back to the summer.
There are a variety of complications that arise when viewing the Mavericks' potential trade package for Simmons. For starters, Dallas lacks the dynamic talent the Sixers seek. There is also a real lack of draft assets at the Mavs' disposal.
The spare parts approach brings overlap for the Sixers as well. Since Philadelphia has Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, there might be less appeal to the idea of landing a talent like Kristaps Porzingis or Jalen Brunson.
It will take multiple teams for the Philadelphia 76ers to complete a trade for Ben Simmons, however. Perhaps the Mavericks could get involved as a third or fourth team to shake up the roster a bit?
The exact logistics of such a trade are complicated, considering it's unclear what the Hawks would be sending the Sixers in such a scenario. Cam Reddish and Danilo Gallinari have been in trade rumors as of late.
The Hawks have reportedly sought a first round pick with potential lottery upside in talks for Reddish. Dallas lacks such an asset, but could Gallinari be a helpful stopgap option to consider? The Mavs have had trade interest in him before over the last few years.
Unless the Mavericks were interested in taking on Tobias Harris’ albatross contract, there isn't much all that attainable on the Sixers for Dallas to attempt to acquire. Danny Green has been linked in the past and has an expiring deal, but he doesn't move the needle much these days.
Stay tuned to DallasBasketball.com for updates as we get closer to the NBA trade deadline on February 10.
