The Philadelphia 76ers have their eyes set on acquiring James Harden of the Brooklyn Nets, but if they can’t get a deal done before Thursday’s deadline, they may want to consider at least acquiring a bunch of really good role players to put around Joel Embiid and get something done involving Simmons.
It is obvious Simmons doesn’t want to be in Philadelphia anymore, and, at this point, it doesn’t appear Harden is going to be available in a deal. Now, the Sixers could hang on to Simmons and try again in the offseason, but just to play hypotheticals, let’s take a look at another mock trade.
This latest mock deal performed by Bleacher Report has the Sixers sending Simmons, Charles Bassey and Paul Reed to the Washington Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Deni Avdija, Corey Kispert, 2022 first-round pick and a 2024 first-round pick (top-10 protected).
B/R on why the Sixers do this deal:
Will the 76ers trade Simmons for a collection of good role players, prospects and picks? Probably not.
Should they? At this point, absolutely.
A Philly team suddenly gets a surge of talent and trade assets to play with for its championship push. Dinwiddie gives the team another ball-handler in the backcourt, and Caldwell-Pope’s three-and-D play and title experience will be needed. Avdija and Kispert were first-round picks each of the past two years, and two additional firsts give the 76ers some serious trade ammo.
Dinwiddie hasn’t exactly worked out for the Wizards, and his teammates in Washington haven’t exactly been fond of him. He has always been a guy who could fit in Philadelphia, so that makes sense if the Sixers can’t get their hands on Bradley Beal which looks as if it isn’t going to happen due to Beal’s loyalty to Washington.
Final Verdict: The final verdict on this deal is that the Sixers would definitely say no. If there is even the slightest chance of grabbing Harden, they have to go for it. Even if it isn’t until the offseason. A guy like Simmons should warrant a talent like Harden and that will be something to watch as the 2021-22 season continues.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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