I still think Buddy/Barnes/Picks as perfect fits next to Embiid to maximize him is about as good an offer as they're going to get for Simmons. Despite the Sixers thinking they can dictate their asking price... they really can't. There's no leverage and teams will just happily let the situation play out, get more toxic and if worst comes to worst, let Simmons trot back out there for Philly and ruin the chemistry of one of the best teams in the NBA.
From the Kings' perspective, I think the only way to make the starting lineup work is if the package were Buddy/
Bagley/pick(s), leaving the team with:
PG Fox
SG Haliburton
SF [Big Fat Question Mark Who Can Shoot]
PF Barnes
C Simmons
I think Ben Simmons would function best as a center alongside De'Aaron Fox. Simmons would have to let go of his insistence on playing the point, of course, but it would alleviate some of the pressure on him to get more comfortable shooting the ball right away. Playing him at C also creates a dozen kinds of havoc on both sides of the ball. It's mouth-watering stuff, in my opinion.
In this scenario, you've gotta hold onto Harrison Barnes, though. His versatility and shooting become essential if you trade for Simmons. Personally, I was hoping that any possible deal for Simmons would be executed before the draft and before the Kings had to make a decision on Richaun Holmes. As it stands, Fox/Simmons/Holmes can't fit into the same starting lineup, so the Kings would be re-signing Holmes to a hefty backup's contract. That's not ideal.
Alternatively, after drafting Davion Mitchell, I can see the logic in trading Fox for Simmons. It's definitely
not my preference, but it probably makes it easier to hold onto Barnes. And I wouldn't necessarily be unhappy if the Kings moved into training camp with a lineup of:
PG Mitchell
SG Haliburton
SF [Big Fat Question Mark Who Can Shoot]
PF Barnes
C Simmons
or
PG Mitchell
SG Haliburton
SF Barnes
PF [Big Fat Question Mark Who Can Shoot]
C Simmons
or
PG Mitchell
SG Haliburton
SF Simmons
PF Barnes
C [Big Fat Question Mark Who Can Shoot]
Obviously, there's positional flexibility when Barnes/Simmons are in the lineup together. They could play in a few configurations between the 3, 4, and 5, so whatever additional shooting you acquire would dictate the ultimate shape of the starting lineup.
But at this point, I'm probably more interested in a slightly less splashy target like Pascal Siakam, or potentially dealing with Philly for Tobias Harris rather than Simmons. I'd prefer to keep Fox, and I think Siakam or Harris would slot into the starting lineup perfectly after re-signing Holmes.