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Dumping Ben Simmons to acquire an All-Star is the Nets' dream offseason trade scenario
As they couldn't endure a chaotic and lopsided campaign this 2023-24 season, the Brooklyn Nets will approach the forthcoming offseason with utmost pondering to consider their desired path and future. From Nic Claxton's unrestricted free agency, Cam Thomas’s eligibility for a rookie scale extension, and identification of their next head coaching leadership, the franchise is about to answer towering questions in this pivotal summer.
The Nets will also head into the 2024 offseason with the sheer intention of potentially landing a trade in which they can only wish to pull off a miraculous transaction starring Ben Simmons.
A Simmons dump is the Nets' dream offseason trade scenario
In his Bleacher Report piece that tackles the dream offseason trade scenarios for every NBA team, Greg Swartz picked the Ben Simmons situation as the Nets' most aspired case to execute a trade with.
As it is, Simmons' season with the Nets was cut short once again due to the nagging nerve impingement in his lower back. Since being acquired by the ball club in the 2021-22 midseason, the star guard only managed to play in a lowly amount of 57 regular season games. In the wake of inactivity issues, he is now just a shell of his former self if compared to his dynamic days for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Nets to use Simmons' expiring salary for star-hunting
Brooklyn still has Simmons on their payroll next season for a hefty $40MM. While it might be problematic in the team's salary cap, Swartz still sees it as a potential salary-matching piece for the team to execute a potential trade that will land them a complementary star to surround their core, headlined by Mikal Bridges.
Armed with a plethora of valuable trade assets thanks to the Kevin Durant blockbuster trade, the Nets can construct an enticing trade framework with any rival team that may head towards rebuilding.
“A dream scenario for Brooklyn is using this expiring money to serve as a salary-matcher to bring in a star to place around Mikal Bridges, Nic Claxton, Cam Thomas, and others. Even a Simmons-Zach LaVine swap would make sense as a salary dump for the Chicago Bulls, with some draft picks added.”
