Report: Doc Rivers Signs A Five-Year Contract With The Philadelphia 76ers And Is Interested In Trading Ben Simmons For The First Pick In The 2020 NBA Draft. Is This A Wise Decision?

After just days of being a free agent, the former Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers accepted a five-year deal to coach the Philadelphia 76ers. With this being one of the fastest coaching signings in recent history, the former champion is officially back in the Eastern Conference, where he can begin a new chapter in his illustrious career. However, new reports have surfaced that Doc Rivers plans to revamp the roster and construct a winning identity for Philadelphia. Changing the head coach was the first step in doing so as Brett Brown could not successfully coach this team to the promised lands and instead has given the 76ers fanbase anxiety and uncertainty. However, the blame should not go to Brett Brown entirely as Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, both regarded as All-Stars, have been injury-prone and unable to shine together when it matters the most. A more recent example was this year’s playoffs where Embiid was healthy and starting while Ben Simmons was receiving surgery. If both these players remained healthy, the playoff bracket could have looked entirely different. With that being in the past, the 76ers have quickly moved on and opened their new chapter of potential dominance in signing Doc Rivers!

Although Doc has received countless criticisms since the Clippers blew a 3-1 lead against the Denver Nuggets, Doc is still a viable coach to any team as he brings experience and championship DNA. He may have blown multiple 3-1 leads, which is disgraceful for a potential Hall of Fame coach, but he never suited up. In this year’s playoffs, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard played abysmal basketball and managed to ruin their trajectory of making it to the finals. Blowing a 3-1 lead to a young up incoming team is laughable but blaming the entire series on Doc Rivers is unacceptable, especially if the star players shoot less than 30 points combined in an elimination game! However, Doc is given a new chance to thrive with a contending organization that needs a few changes to become a dynasty. For one, Joel Embiid should be given a different role and a more relaxed position to remain healthy. Load management is not an option for Embiid, and it shouldn’t be considering how big of a failure it was for Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers. Instead, if Joel had a slightly reduced role on both ends of the court and played reduced minutes per game, the 76ers would have tremendous success, especially when they possess one of the best centers coming off the bench in Al Horford. Doc will need to incorporate this if the 76ers fail to trade any big contracts this upcoming off-season. 

While the 76ers have a bright future, the reason they are in this position is that Ben Simmons potentially flourishes as a superstar if given the right system. If the 76ers fail to provide Simmons with any roster improvements or even a bigger role, Ben would have to consider departing from the organization and joining a team where he can be appreciated. At the same time, Simmons recently had a sensitive surgery done on the knee, where it can lead to success or consequence. However, is this the reason why Doc Rivers wants to trade Ben Simmons away? 

As more recent reports show, Doc Rivers intends to trade Ben Simmons to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for the first pick in the NBA draft followed by some role players! From the surface level, this trade may appear foolish when considering the upside of Ben Simmons. When Joel Embiid went down with an injury, Ben Simmons rose to action and played like a future MVP while showing greater potential than any other player on the Philadelphia 76ers. Simmons should be regarded more highly than he is, especially when considering this year’s NBA draft! 

While the 2020 NBA draft possesses many great talents such as Anthony Edwards, Lamelo Ball, James Wiseman, Obi Toppin and many more, none of these players are unanimous first picks in their draft. Instead, the draft order has fluctuated almost every day due to at least five players deserving of the first pick. With that amount of pressure and uncertainty to draft the right player, the 76ers cannot afford to take such a risk, especially when having cap overload followed by championship aspirations. Even if they draft a player that will make an immediate impact, experience and leadership are aspects that Ben Simmons has, unlike any of these rookies other than Obi Toppin, who played in the NCAA for all four seasons. While that could work, the 76ers are congested at the forward position and need to trade some of their bigger contracts before even considering trading away Ben Simmons! 

On the other hand, Simmons possesses a risk factor as he did receive a very sensitive surgery on his knee that could alter his production for the rest of his career. While Simmons is an extraordinary talent, he also possesses the injury-bug as he has failed numerous times to remain healthy even after the NBA bubble started. If Elton Brand believes that Simmons is not worth this risk, trading him away makes sense as the 76ers are looking to contend for a championship in the near future. If attaining the first pick in this year’s NBA draft is the reward for a dangerous sacrifice, then the 76ers should hope that they draft a guard who can actually shoot! 

Both spectrums of keeping or trading Ben Simmons have strong arguments while being one of the most challenging decisions a general manager has to make. While Simmons has proven to be an All-Star and a future superstar, he is also injury-prone and has recently completed a knee surgery that could alter his career. The duo of Embiid and Simmons has been rough so far, but their surrounding cast has also been relatively weak, except Jimmy Butler and JJ Redick. While blowing up the team could be slightly too early, Doc Rivers has a history of coaching playoff teams and believes that the 76ers can be more than just a first or second-round exit. Trading away Ben Simmons could make or break this team hence why Elton Brand has the most challenging decision to make in the entire league.