NBA Trade Rumors: Spurs Acquire No. 1 Pick Ben Simmons; Victor Wembanyama Pairing?
The San Antonio Spurs have acquired the first overall pick in the NBA Draft and are expected to select once-in-a-lifetime prospect Victor Wembanyama. However, two No. 1 picks are better than one, and the opportunity is ripe for acquiring the top selection of 2016 ... current Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons.
With Bleacher Report speculating that Simmons may only cost San Antonio Doug McDermott and a pick swap, it's not difficult to envision a position-less lineup with superb size and defense featuring a 6-10 Simmons facilitating for a 7-5 sharpshooter in Wembanyama.
Before fans dismiss this rumor, it’s important to remember that Simmons has been an All-Star in three out of the five seasons he’s played and, at his peak, is one of the league’s best passers and defenders as a 6-10 guard.
Simmons found success immediately upon stepping on the court in 2017, winning Rookie of the Year over the likes of current Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell and earning comparisons to NBA legends such as Magic Johnson and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers for his remarkable ability as a passer in a forwards body.
There was only one flaw in Simmons’ game, and the late great Kobe Bryant acknowledged as much back in 2019.
“Ben Simmons is an amazing player,” Bryant said. “He’ll be an All-Star, he’ll probably win championships — but he can’t shoot.”
Fast forward to the present day, and that hole in Simmons’ skillset remains. Unfortunately, it’s now accompanied by a couple of other hurdles he must surpass to reclaim what looked to be a promising career.
First, amongst the issues, he must overcome a back injury that required surgery in 2022. Simmons missed all of the 2021-22 season due to holding out and dealing with a bad back, and then last season only played in 42 games.
But according to the New York Post, Simmons is expected to not miss much time with his injury recovery.
If Simmons’ body returns to its 2020 All-NBA form, the only foreseeable obstacle is rebuilding his confidence on the court.
Perhaps a change of scenery is all it would take for the Spurs to resurrect Simmons' career. Pairing Wembanyama with the seemingly fallen star could pay dividends as the team looks to fulfill his wish of "winning a ring ASAP."
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