Getty Ben Simmons of the Brooklyn Nets
Former Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons was named in another hypothetical deal. Ben Stinar of Sports Illustrated proposed a trade involving the Brooklyn Nets and Golden State Warriors.
Warriors receive: Ben Simmons
Nets receive: Jordan Poole
Stinar explained why the Warriors would want to take on Simmons following the season he just had with the Nets.
“Simmons was once among the best young rising stars in the league.
“The former LSU star has fallen off over the last few seasons (and dealt with injuries), but he can play a pivotal role for the Warriors,” Stinar said.
Stinar used the Warriors’ history of getting the most out of players like Andrew Wiggins as a reason for why they should take a flyer on Simmons.
“When next season begins, Simmons will only be 27 years old, and the Warriors have an excellent history of getting the best out of players.
“Andrew Wiggins had the reputation of being a draft bust, but in his third season with the franchise, he started in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game (and helped the Warriors win the title).”
Stinar also used the Warriors’ defensive stats to illustrate why he thinks they could use someone like Simmons.
“In 2023, the Warriors ranked just 21st in opponents’ points per game (116.6 PPG) and 25th in blocks per game (4.0).
“Therefore, it’s clear they need to look for players who can help them on defense.”
Analyst Gives Thoughts on James Harden-Ben Simmons Trade
With it being over a year since the Nets and Sixers swapped Harden for Simmons, Brian Lewis of the New York Post wrote an article on May 20, giving his thoughts on how the Sixers and Nets fared in the trade.
Lewis said that had the Sixers won a title with Harden, they would win the deal, which may not be an option if Harden leaves.
“Philadelphia’s gambit was a win-now move, and a title would’ve made the Sixers the clear winners no matter what happened elsewhere. But if Harden leaves, they will have never even gotten close, with their end of the ledger tallied up.”
Lewis then said Simmons’ performance will determine how the Nets did.
“The Nets’ story is still being written — and with Drummond gone and Curry likely to follow, it largely will be defined by Simmons. His contract is one of the most bloated in the NBA in terms of return-on-investment. Now it’s on the Nets to find a way to salvage Simmons and make the best of the situation.”
Dwight Howard Recruits Ben Simmons, Jordan Poole
Former Sixers backup center Dwight Howard recorded a video of himself on May 16 sarcastically recruiting multiple NBA players to come play with him in Taiwan, including Simmons and Poole.
“Jordan Poole, come on! Julius Randle, come on!” Howard said. “Ben Simmons, come on, man!… Klay, you can slide down here too, my boy. Deandre Ayton, you and (Chris Paul) come on. (Kevin Durant)? Come on, KD!”
Howard even recruited Harden, who he played with on the Houston Rockets from 2013 to 2016.
“They talking about him going back to Houston, but I think this might be a better look. James Harden, come on down here too, boy!”
