NBA Mock trade has Nets trading Ben Simmons to Spurs
Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons has been one of the main topics of conversation in the NBA space for the past few seasons. Not only have some fans grown to dislike him because of his lack of availability, but some have grown him to like him because of the player that he used to be.
For all intents and purposes, most Nets fans are rooting for Simmons to turn things around because a significant portion of Brooklyn’s winning prospects hinges on Simmons returning to his All-Star form. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently wrote an article in which he gave a trade idea for each NBA team to trade the player on their team deemed as the worst contract.
In addition to Buckley picking Simmons as the Nets’ worst contract on the books, which makes sense given that Simmons still has two years and $78 million left on his deal, he proposed a mock trade to get Simmons elsewhere. Let’s dive into the mock trade and evaluate it.
The Mock Trade
Brooklyn Nets receive: Devonte’ Graham, Doug McDermott and Reggie Bullock
San Antonio Spurs receive: Ben Simmons, a 2025 second-round pick (protected for picks 31-37), a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick (top-eight protected, via PHI)
Should the Nets do this trade?
Getting Graham, McDermott, and Bullock would provide the Nets with three players who are ready to contribute in an NBA game, but are not spectacular by any means. What Brooklyn gets out of this trade would be three players who can more than replace the three-point shooting that the Nets have lost this summer.
On the other hand, Brooklyn would be losing the chance to see if Simmons can turn things around for his career. One could argue that the Nets have more of a reason to stick it out with Simmons seeing that Brooklyn is unlikely to win a championship in the near future. Plus, giving up Philadelphia’s 2027 first-round pick could prove to be a mistake if the 76ers end up rebuilding by then.
Verdict: No, the Nets should not do this trade.
