Stephen A. Smith says Sixers shouldn’t give star Ben Simmons to Nets
As the trade deadline continues to approach quickly, the Philadelphia 76ers have a decision to make when it comes to Ben Simmons. While the organization would like to move him before the deadline with their eyes set on James Harden, there are some questions they need to answer.
If the Sixers move Simmons for Harden, they will be giving their conference rival–a team they will be fighting with to make the finals–an elite defender an elite playmaker. While Harden will fit nicely next to Embiid on the offensive end, the Sixers will still be giving up a big piece to the Nets.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith broke it down and he said it would be a very bad move on Philadelphia’s part:
I think that if Daryl Morey traded Ben Simmons to Brooklyn, it would be one of the stupidest things that he has done in his career. I really do. In my opinion, there are two teams, and one of them is not even an issue because they don’t want Ben Simmons, they’re fine with what they have, but there are two teams that you don’t put a Ben Simmons on. It is Golden State and it is Brooklyn because those are the two teams where his skill set, what we lament about his lack of shooting ability doesn’t apply. Everything else that he does, particularly his stoutness as a defender, I voted for him for Defensive Player of the Year last year, Ben Simmons with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in Brooklyn not just the same conference within the same division as Philadelphia. He would be a roadblock and an impediment to Philadelphia for years. Now, somebody might figure out how to beat them, but I’m talking about strictly Philadelphia. Brooklyn would be standing in their way because I don’t believe an Embiid with a Harden beat a KD, Kyrie, and Ben Simmons. I don’t believe that. I believe Brooklyn would perpetually stand in Philadelphia’s way. You don’t trade up a Ben Simmons to Brooklyn. You trade them out west or you trade him to some team that ain’t going no damn place, but you don’t trade him to Brooklyn. You don’t do it.
Smith has a point here. In Brooklyn, all Simmons would have to do is bring his elite defense and playmaking and let Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving do all the heavy lifting on the offensive end. As Durant and Irving have proven, they are able to do so. Simmons would fill a role similar to Draymond Green and he would make life miserable for the Sixers in future matchups.
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