Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons has been the subject of trade rumors since the 2021 NBA offseason. After taking most of the blame for their failure to capture the Larry O’Brien Trophy last season, Simmons has distanced himself from the Sixers and been actively finding his way out of the City of Brotherly Love.
The former No. 1 pick may remain an official member of the Sixers’ roster in the 2021-22 NBA season, but most people are still expecting him to be moved before the 2022 NBA trade deadline.
Ben Simmons Linked To Toronto Raptors
In the past months, Simmons continues to receive interest from title contenders that need additional star power and rebuilding teams that want to speed up their timeline. One of the dark-horse trade destinations for Simmons is the Toronto Raptors. In a Substack newsletter, NBA insider Marc Stein gave an update regarding the rumors linking the Raptors to Simmons.
The Raptors don’t currently have a player of Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal’s caliber but if the Sixers give up on acquiring a superstar, Stein believes that Toronto would be in a strong position to land Simmons before the 2022 NBA trade deadline.
Proposed Trade Package To Acquire Ben Simmons
If they finally realize that they couldn’t acquire an All-Star for their disgruntled player, Stein thinks that the Sixers could explore trading Simmons to the Raptors in exchange for a package that includes OG Anunoby and Goran Dragic.
"Rather than pursue a swap centered around Pascal Siakam, it is easier to see Philadelphia trying to push to acquire a rising star capable of replicating Simmons’ versatility — namely OG Anunoby — who can be packaged with a playoff-tested veteran ballhandler to give the Sixers’ backcourt a needed boost (Goran Dragić)," Stein wrote, as quoted by NBC Sports.
Sixers Replace Ben Simmons With Two Solid Contributors
Anunoby and Dragic would be intriguing acquisitions for the Sixers in the potential deal involving Simmons. Though they aren’t close to the level of Beal and Lillard, adding Anunoby and Dragic to the Sixers’ core of Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Seth Curry, and Danny Green would make the Sixers a more competitive team in the 2021-22 NBA season.
Anunoby would give the Sixers a three-point threat and a young player with huge superstar potential, while Dragic would provide them with a veteran floor general who has plenty of playoff experience.
Ben Simmons Starts New Journey In Toronto
As of now, it remains unknown if the Raptors are really exploring the possibility of trading Anunoby and Dragic for Simmons before the 2022 NBA trade deadline. However, it isn’t surprising that they are interested in bringing Simmons to Toronto.
Simmons may still have major flaws in his game but compared to Pascal Siakam, he has more potential to become the face of the franchise. If they succeed to acquire him, the Raptors could make Simmons the centerpiece of the next-title contending team that they will try to build in Toronto in the post-Kyle Lowry era.
]]>The Inquisitr
