Breaking: Philadelphia 76ers offer Ben Simmons and Danny Green to the Boston Celtics for Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and more. Should the Celtics accept the offer?
In the last 24 hours, Shams Charania of “The Athletic” revealed that the Boston Celtics had expressed interest in trading for Philadelphia’s former star, Ben Simmons. “The Athletic” further told that the 76ers received a trade from Boston in hopes of trading away Simmons to fulfil their process.
According to Charania, 76ers general manager Daryl Morey immediately went to action and requested the only package he would accept from Brad Stevens and the Celtics.
Boston receives- Ben Simmons and Danny Green
Philadelphia receives- Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams and a protected first-round pick
Morey countless of times stated that he is in no rush in trading for Simmons as he is waiting for the right offer that would best benefit the 76ers organization. His lack of effort in realizing the true value of Simmons is what will slow down this team the most and not Simmons. The relationship between Simmons and the 76ers organizations was long destroyed as long as Morey continues to sideline a Simmons trade.
The 76ers drama has not stopped their regular season as they continue being one of the best teams in the NBA. While their record will be hindered due to Embiid’s recent COVID-19 test results, the 76ers are playing the best basketball they have ever played in years without Simmons! Unfortunately, the Boston Celtics, a team that has been viewed as a potential dynasty for years, has not had the same level of success as the 76ers have despite their unnecessary adversity.
The Boston Celtics currently have a record of 4-6 while being the 11th seed outside of the play-in eligibility. From lack of ball movement to inconsistent scoring, the Celtics have had their worst start to a season since the 2018 season. While a dramatic change is something they think they need, the reality is that the Boston Celtics still have the potential; to eventually become an elite in the Eastern Conference as long as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown remain as teammates. Since being drafted, this young duo has made the playoffs every season while making it to the Conference Finals twice. To put it into perspective, Damian Lillard, who was drafted in 2012, has only made the Conference Finals once, which was in 2019!
While the Celtics are struggling, they have only played ten games under a new head coach, management and teammates. Last season, the Celtics had consistency in every category, which was arguably one of the factors of their current downfall. For the first time in a long time, the Celtics have finally adjusted to the idea of change and with that comes adversity and struggle.
The 76ers wanting to trade Simmons for Brown is more than they could ask for, especially when factoring in who is the better player. Simmons and Brown were drafted in 2016, with Simmons being the unanimous first pick in the draft. While Simmons does have the potential to be an all-time great in the NBA, he is barely clinging to his All-Star title. Teams are hesitant in trading future assets for a player that refuses to shoot the basketball. With Jaylen Brown, the 76ers not only solve their shooting problem but also trade for a player who is young and filled with superstar potential. In addition, the 76ers also acquired one of the best if not the best guard defender in the NBA today in Marcus Smart and a 6’8 center that exhibits Ben Wallace’s potential in Robert Willaims. If this trade were to be accepted by the Celtics, the 76ers would be a certified contender in the Eastern Conference as long as Embiid can remain healthy.
As established, this trade would be perfect for the 76ers as it provides them with another star and great role players. However, the Celtics lose this trade by a mile as they are acquiring Ben Simmons and Danny Green. While Simmons and Tatum would be a compelling duo in the East, this trade stumps the Celtics in wanting to win a championship. If the Celtics can keep Brown and Tatum in exchange for Simmons, that is how the Celtics would benefit from this trade. Unless Simmons is willing to learn and build confidence in shooting the basketball, this trade would be a horrible decision for a Celtics team that entertains shooting as their primary objective.
Concluding Thoughts
The Celtics expressing interest in Ben Simmons is confusing as this team relies on shooting for their offence. While head coach Ime Udoka expressed that playmaking will be improved this season, trading for Simmons is not the solution in solving the Celtics’ underwhelming start to the season. Encouraging Tatum and Brown to include others more on offence should be the central focus instead of trading one of them away. Despite the Celtics merely being a what-if story in the NBA, Brown and Tatum are both under 25 and still have years before they reach their true primes. If the Celtics trade Brown to the 76ers, it will be the worst decision they will make as Tatum would eventually request a trade to join his brother in Washington.