Breaking: ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski hints the Cleveland Cavaliers as a destination for 76ers guard Ben Simmons at the deadline. Should Cleveland consider trading for Simmons?
The Philadelphia 76ers continue to search for the right trade centred around Ben Simmons. Since the end of the 2021 NBA playoffs, Simmons has been displeased with the 76ers and adamant about not playing basketball for the organization. Despite the 76ers receiving offers for the former All-Star, general manager Daryl Morrey has declined every offer presented to him. Morrey's exaggerated view of Simmons' value in the NBA has made the 76ers mediocre compared to last season.
The 76ers are currently ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 18-16. While the 76ers are now in the playoff race, they could quickly drop down to the 12th seed as there is only a two-game difference. If the 76ers lose two games in a row, they could drop out of the play-in tournament! In other words, the 76ers are not as dominant as they were in previous years and are slowly falling out of relevance in the NBA.
To sustain the prime of Joel Embiid, a trading Simmons needs to happen by the trade deadline if the 76ers wish to improve in the Eastern Conference. Despite many organizations attempting and failing to trade for the disgruntled All-Star, a new organization has emerged as a team that could complete a trade. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, he revealed on "The Countdown," that the Cleveland Cavaliers could be a team to pursue a trade for Ben Simmons. (Quotes are from Micheal Kaskey-Blowmain of CBS Sports)
Ben Simmons in Philadelphia, I think you'll start to see the 76ers re-engage teams. Certainly he is no closer to agreeing to come back to play with the Sixers this season, and they don't have any real traction on a trade yet... But here's an interesting team to watch: the Cleveland Cavaliers, who before they went on this really incredible start to the season, had been engaged with Philly on Simmons. They've got some really intriguing assets, either in a straight deal or perhaps a three- or four-team deal. It was reported earlier J.B. Bickerstaff agreed to a new extension today through 2026-27. This is a team in Cleveland that's just a game out of third place.
Philly's a team right now, in that bunched up East, who could be out of the play-in with a couple of losses, the way it's bunched up. So expect Philly to start talking more with teams as we get closer to that Feb. 10 deadline, and it will be interesting to see if Cleveland re-engages as a team that I think's built for long-term success with all their young players. Ben Simmons is only 25 years old; he does fit into the timeline of that team.
Wojnarowski believes that the Cavaliers could revisit a Simmons trade due to Cleveland's unexpected success this season. Currently, the Cavaliers rank fifth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 20-14 while being two games behind the third-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. This season, Cleveland is a legitimate playoff contender and will look to sustain that by pursuing a trade for Simmons. However, is it wise for Cleveland to trade for Simmons?
Cleveland currently ranks second in the NBA for defensive rating and 13th in offensive rating. The Cavaliers have been an excellent defensive team this season and have been a slightly above-average offensive team, according to the advanced stats by NBA.com. Cleveland pursuing a trade for Simmons does not make sense considering that the Cavaliers are a great defensive team and already possess a border-line All-Star calibre point guard in Darius Garland. Garland is currently averaging 19.5 PPG, 3 RPG and 7.3 APG on career-high efficiency. By trading for Simmons, the Cavaliers would hinder the production and development of Garland as they both play the same position. If the Cavaliers were terrible defensively, trading for Simmons is logical. However, because the Cavaliers are an elite team defensively this season, the fit for Simmons in Cleveland becomes awkward. Unless Simmons has developed a reliable jump-shot during his time off, he would clog Cleveland's offence and hinder their early-season success.
Simmons is an elite-level playmaker and defender in the NBA but is not a good fit for the Cavaliers. Unless he is willing to play a forward position, Cleveland should not pursue Simmons as it would ruin their trio of Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Even though Wojnarowski stated that Simmons fits the timeline of the Cavaliers, he would slow down the development and production of the young core that Cleveland currently possesses. Suppose the Cavaliers want to remain afloat in the Eastern Conference. In that case, they should trade for players that fit around the young and bright trio!
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