The sweepstakes for Ben Simmons have begun, and the Philadelphia 76ers seem to want more than the first reported offer.
The talk of the NBA offseason will be about Ben Simmons‘ future with the Philadelphia 76ers. His offensive limitations showed themselves in this year’s playoffs, making it harder to justify him being a positive impact on the team. Simmons is athletic, a gifted playmaker, and an exceptional defender, but his lack of shooting and spacing of the floor might be why he’s out of Philly.
There will be many teams interested in his services, especially since his abysmal playoff outing hurt his trade value. However, the Sixers know Simmons’ potential and won’t move on a trade unless they feel they are getting enough back for him.
After the first reported offer for Simmons came out, it looks like Philadelphia is looking for a haul for the All-Star point forward.
The Indiana Pacers are a team in flux right now. They fired their coach after one season, they are in an unappealing market, and they don’t have enough to be a championship team. Adding a player of Ben Simmons caliber would be a major upgrade and provide some needed star power for that franchise.
Unfortunately, the Sixers aren’t interested in the Pacers’ offer for the star player. Philly has reportedly rejected a first-round pick and Malcolm Brogdon from Indiana in exchange for Simmons, according to Jason Dumas of Bleacher Report.
Malcolm Brogdon Contract
Money is a critical component of a Ben Simmons trade, which means the Malcolm Brogdon contract was key in Indiana’s offer.
Brogdon is in the middle of a four-year, $85 million contract with the Pacers. The money needed to make a Simmons trade work is there for Indiana, and Brogdon would be making almost $10 million less than what the Sixers are paying Simmons.
Dumas added that Philly is standing firm on its demands for their point-forward. The team wants an “All-Star caliber player” in exchange for Simmons, according to Dumas. Based on the evidence, Brogdon isn’t an All-Star kind of player, but he would fill a need for the Sixers. He can make plays, defend, and shoot much better than Simmons.
This will be the first of many offers the Sixers get for Ben Simmons. Rejecting the Pacers’ offer seems smart, as they will want to evaluate as many trade packages as possible before accepting one. The Simmons sweepstakes begin, and the asking price could be very high.