If Daryl Morey manages to keep his reputation intact on the other side of this fiasco, it will be a minor miracle. I have no idea if he's over there playing 4D chess in Philadelphia, but as far as I am able to see, he's really mishandled an asset that, while depreciated due to recent events, still had significant value heading into the offseason. Now Simmons' value has pretty much cratered and Morey's put himself into a staring contest with Rich Paul. Who knows how that will turn out? I imagine it won't end well for the Sixers...
Trade Suggestion: Fox for Simmons + #28
- Thread starter kb02
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Sam Amick: As I wrote here, though, the fact that the Kings are unwilling to include De’Aaron Fox and/or Tyrese Haliburton in a possible Simmons deal is, for now at least, a deal-breaker. Heck, they’re even trying to hold onto Harrison Barnes, from what I’m told.
well consider McNair trained under Morey is it a shock. The right trade dollar and fit wise is Fox for Simmons and some kicker. Otherwise you spent the 9 pick on an older backup. We will see if Monte is able to fix the fit issues on this roster. So far he has done little to get us a wing of consequence.
Not getting a very realistic trade completed with Houston for Harden looked bad at the time and now is a complete disaster. Hard to imagine a Harden/Embid pairing now contending for the title last year and at least for the next couple years. Now Harden part of a super team that likely blocks the Sixers from a championship, and Simmons has lost all market value.
ClutchPoints NBA
Aug 31Ben Simmons is reportedly interested on landing with the Warriors, Kings, and Clippers
WooHoo!!! We are one of the three California Teams!!!!!
This tells me that McNair recognizes exactly what he needs to make Fox/Simmons work. Haliburton and Barnes become essential pieces because of their ability to play off-ball and space the floor. Those four guys can fit together rather nicely, in my opinion. Lots of playmaking and basketball smarts. A potentially nuclear fast break. And Simmons would obviously bolster the defense in the starting lineup considerably.
Trading Hali/Barnes in a deal for Simmons opens up problematic holes elsewhere in the starting lineup that aren't exactly impossible to navigate, but it would make balanced roster construction considerably more difficult. I don't think McNair would actually be able to land Simmons without including at least one of Haliburton and Barnes, of course, but it's very encouraging to me that he has a sense for what's important around a potential Fox/Simmons pairing, and that his thinking is a level beyond "acquire all-star talent and ask questions later."
Trading Hali/Barnes in a deal for Simmons opens up problematic holes elsewhere in the starting lineup that aren't exactly impossible to navigate, but it would make balanced roster construction considerably more difficult. I don't think McNair would actually be able to land Simmons without including at least one of Haliburton and Barnes, of course, but it's very encouraging to me that he has a sense for what's important around a potential Fox/Simmons pairing, and that his thinking is a level beyond "acquire all-star talent and ask questions later."
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You mean Monte? But yea, we can not lose Haliburton in any deal for Simmons or we create massive lineup problems. Barnes they'd at least have to send more back assuming Buddy also went in the deal.
If Fox is make or break they need to start proposing offers that give Kings more in return because a happy player in Sac for a disgruntled malcontent with an agent threatening to blow up the team, even if you believe Simmons is slightly better (questionable after playoffs), is not an even trade for Kings.
If Fox is make or break they need to start proposing offers that give Kings more in return because a happy player in Sac for a disgruntled malcontent with an agent threatening to blow up the team, even if you believe Simmons is slightly better (questionable after playoffs), is not an even trade for Kings.
I think you misunderstood, I didn't say he has one move, but I was saying off of that one particular move he could get an easy 6 a night. However, it's the only thing he's shown is one go to type of move. The question is what teams do to him when they do game plan. If you focus your defense towards a player who isn't finishing over players and lock down the paint, that same move becomes much tougher., This is where Fox has really turned the page, you almost couldn't game plan for him last season.
If the Blazers moved CJ for Simmons, that's good value for the Sixers IMO. My question is what are the Blazers left with? Their whole identity is based around two top shelf scorers and it still ain't enough. The Blazers are in a tough spot being not deep enough on talent and with Simmons less able to score.
I guess their hope would be that Dame and Norm Powell can score points enough while Simmons and Nance also improve their defense to the degree that they don’t have to just outscore folks every night. Not sure it’d make them particularly better than they already our now though and it would certainly limit them in terms of moves for the future.
Question - is it realistic to assume Simmons can slide into the wing spot for the kings without issue?
I haven’t watched him too much, and I know he’s been playing as a guard, but is he a guy that can just be plugged in anywhere on the court, or is he gonna struggle a bit when the ball isn’t in his hands?
I haven’t watched him too much, and I know he’s been playing as a guard, but is he a guy that can just be plugged in anywhere on the court, or is he gonna struggle a bit when the ball isn’t in his hands?
Think of him as Giannis-lite with less physicality but more ball handling/playmaking. The trouble with playing him at the wing is he loses some of his size advantage and quickness advantage and he's also not a floor spacer. You're better off either playing him as a big where he's near to the basket and has a playmaking/quickness advantage, or let him be the ball handler and utilize his physicality and size advantage. On defense he can easily cover 1-4 or 1-5.
With Simmons, it has always been a question of fortitude between the ears. He can legitimately lock down all five positions, but the issue on offense is his willingness to play where his team can best use him. He insists that he's a PG, and sure, he can play there. I also think he can easily slot into the wing spot. But in the modern NBA, I think you truly unlock his talent at the 5. My honest belief is that Ben Simmons becomes Madness Incarnate at the 5.
Ultimately, any team that trades for Simmons should be planning to use him in a variety of ways. If Ben Simmons becomes temperamentally flexible, then the positional flexibility he affords his team can be maximized. That said, can Simmons' team count on him evolving into a more malleable personality? Perhaps not. But his stock has never been lower. If he wants to rehab his image (and it's not clear that he wants to or thinks that he needs to), then he's going to have to accept some of the directives of whatever team ends up trading for him. He'll need to work on his jumper, of course. And he'll need to consider roles outside of the PG position.
Ultimately, any team that trades for Simmons should be planning to use him in a variety of ways. If Ben Simmons becomes temperamentally flexible, then the positional flexibility he affords his team can be maximized. That said, can Simmons' team count on him evolving into a more malleable personality? Perhaps not. But his stock has never been lower. If he wants to rehab his image (and it's not clear that he wants to or thinks that he needs to), then he's going to have to accept some of the directives of whatever team ends up trading for him. He'll need to work on his jumper, of course. And he'll need to consider roles outside of the PG position.
