While the conversations surrounding Ben Simmons’ future with the Philadelphia 76ers have turned mostly stale, it got a bit spicier today.
Simmons has not yet played a game for Philadelphia so far this season and it’s unclear if and when he would return to the floor for the Sixers. Even if a trade feels inevitable, however, nothing is going to happen until Philly’s front office finds a suitor.
Some of the teams linked to Simmons in the past have included the Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors.
But according to Shams Charania, another team with rumored interest is the Boston Celtics (via The Athletic):
“The Boston Celtics have engaged in conversations with the 76ers revolving around Simmons and expressed interest in the 6-foot-11 guard, sources tell The Athletic. Talks have been fluid with no traction as of yet, those sources say. Any potential Simmons deal with the Celtics would have to include All-Star forward Jaylen Brown, an ascending talent who is in the midst of another career season, averaging 25.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists.”
The Celtics haven’t exactly vibed well as a team of late and their record is below .500 to start the campaign.
Some of their team’s internal drama was made public when Boston’s Marcus Smart criticized organizational centerpieces Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown last week.
Front offices always do their due diligence when it comes to potential trades, so it’s not wildly surprising that Boston has spoken to Philly about Ben Simmons.
That being said, the Sixers asking price is likely too high for Boston. Don’t see the Celtics moving Jaylen Brown.
— Chris Grenham (@chrisgrenham) November 8, 2021
But it would be absolutely shocking if Brad Stevens, who coached the team from 2013 until 2021 before moving into a front-office role as the president of basketball operations, decided to move Brown for Simmons.
Brown is currently averaging a career-best 25.6 points per game. He is also putting up personal records for 3-pointers per game (2.9), 3-point percentage (39.7 percent) and steals per game (1.3).
If the Celtics “would have to include” Brown in a deal for Simmons, it is likely not happening. Brown is just 25 years old and is the archetypal wing in the modern NBA because he has good size, athleticism and shooting ability.
I’d love Ben Simmons on the Celtics. However if that deal has to include Jaylen Brown? Count me out. Jaylen is a consistently improving (on both ends) star, has been a t10 scorer this year, improving defensively, etc. Any other combination of players, count me in.
— HOOPS EMPIRE (@HoopsEmpire_) November 8, 2021
However, if Philly’s front office would be willing to listen to offers that focused on players beyond Brown or Tatum, the Celtics are a legitimately interesting destination for Simmons.
Boston could use a primary ball-handler and initiator, which Simmons would provide. Simmons would also provide a spark to their defensive identity that would give them an edge in the postseason. Plus, he would not have as much offensive responsibility if he were surrounded by the elite talent of Tatum and Brown.
It is also worth noting that because he signed a contract extension in the offseason, the Celtics cannot include Marcus Smart in a trade until February, which is six months after the extension was signed in August.
That means a trade would likely have to include Josh Richardson and Al Horford — who both played for Philly in 2019-20. It would be surprising if Philadelphia was particularly interested in bringing either player back into the fold.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01evcfkb10bw5a3nky image=https://ftw.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
[listicle id=1216835]