Three-time All-Star Ben Simmons may have played his way out of Philadelphia. At the right price, the Spurs could be one of the teams calling for a trade this offseason.
If you missed Sunday night’s Game 7 between the Atlanta Hawks and Philadephia 76ers, you didn’t miss much from Ben Simmons.
The former No.1 overall pick scored just five points on 2-of-4 shooting in 36 minutes during the Sixers’ 103-96 loss. He did have 13 assists on the night, but passing up open shots is what many will remember. The showing last night was a build-up of overall poor performances throughout this series in which Simmons averaged just 9.9 points per game.
The lack of aggressiveness in key moments has been a flaw over the past three seasons, and now many are wondering if the Sixers will decide to move on from Simmons in the upcoming offseason.
This leads to a question as to who and what it will cost for a team to take Simmons off Philadelphia’s hands. A few years ago, teams would have to give up a lot for a talented Simmons. He’s still got talent, and = it’s a mistake to write off his career at just 24-years old, but now he’s carrying a hefty contract.
Simmons signed a five-year, $169.65 million extension in July 2019. He’s currently under contract through the 2024-25 season, and he’s owed $140.4 million over the next four seasons per Basketball-Reference.
One team who could roll the dice and afford the three-time All-Star is the Spurs.
The Spurs can afford Ben Simmons and should they trade for him this offseason.
San Antonio is projected as a top-3 team in terms of cap space availability this offseason. They have the contracts of Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan coming off the books which is a big reason why. The team’s highest-paid players next season will be Dejounte Murray ($15.4 million) and Derrick White ($15.2 million). Their salary figures and ability to play point guard could be enough for a trade to work out. If the Spurs choose to go in this direction, they could be willing to throw in Devin Vassell or Keldon Johnson plus a draft pick.
For Simmons to take the next steps in his career and get over the hump as a superstar involves a great head coach getting the most out of his talents. You won’t find many better than Gregg Popovich in San Antonio.
It would be a question of how much value the Spurs put on Simmons.