What would 76ers want from Kings in trade for Ben Simmons? We asked, experts answered
Kings general manager Monte McNair and Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey worked together for 13 years in the Houston Rockets organization.
During that time, Houston’s data-driven brain trust made 69 trades, helping the Rockets wheel and deal their way to seven 50-win seasons, 10 playoff appearances and two trips to the Western Conference Finals. Morey and McNair have negotiated lots of trades in the past. Maybe they can do it again now — or maybe not.
One of the most popular hypothetical trades among fans in Sacramento would send Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley III to Philadelphia as part of a package for Ben Simmons. The Sacramento Bee submitted this proposal to a number of NBA agents and executives to get outside perspectives on what it would take to get a deal done.
One league source felt Simmons was a “pipe dream” for Sacramento, saying the 76ers would want Hield, Bagley and a minimum of three future first-round draft picks, including the No. 9 pick in this year’s draft. The source felt there was a better chance of an alternate deal involving 76ers forward Tobias Harris, suggesting Philadelphia might prefer to move Harris to clear salary cap space.
Another source questioned why either team would make that deal, specifically saying it doesn’t do enough to address Philadelphia’s need for leadership. The source suggested the Kings could make a serious play for Simmons if they make De’Aaron Fox or Tyrese Haliburton available. Some believe the 76ers could make a move for Kyrie Irving, Bradley Beal or Damian Lillard instead.
That remains to be seen, given Simmons’ recent playoff struggles, but the idea of a trade is something Morey and McNair will probably discuss, if they haven’t already. They might find it more difficult to agree on the terms of a deal now that they’re on opposite sides of the table.
Trade winds
Bagley, the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, has signaled his desire to leave Sacramento after three injury-plagued seasons. Bagley recently set off another firestorm when he liked a tweet saying “we gotta get (Marvin Bagley) outta Sac.” He also removed any mention of the Kings from his social media bios. This followed a similar pattern of social media behavior from family members, including his father, who took to Twitter in January urging the Kings to “PLEASE trade Marvin Bagley III ASAP!”
One source referred to Bagley as “unappreciative” of the opportunities the Kings have given him despite the injuries and his struggle to grasp team concepts at both ends of the floor. The organization has faced harsh criticism since picking Bagley over the likes of Luka Doncic and Trae Young, but the Kings have stood by Bagley, patiently waiting for him to tap into his enormous potential.
Simmons, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, faces an uncertain future in Philadelphia after the 76ers failed to advance beyond the Eastern Conference semifinals for the fourth year in a row. The 76ers need shooting to space the floor for center Joel Embiid. They were 23rd in the NBA in 3-point goals and 26th in 3-point attempts.
Simmons doesn’t help in that department. He attempted only 34 3-pointers over his first four seasons, shooting an unsightly 14.7%. He passed up open shots in the playoffs and drew more attention to his shooting woes by converting just 25 of 73 (34.2%) free-throw attempts in the postseason. Following a Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, 76ers coach Doc Rivers was asked if Simmons can be the point guard for a championship team.
“I don’t know the answer to that,” Rivers said.
Big Ben breakdown
Simmons, 24, just finished the first year of a five-year, $177.2 million contract. He has four years and $147 million remaining on the deal.
Simmons is owed $33 million next season, a figure that will gradually increase to $40.3 million in 2024-25, the final year of his contract. The Kings would be taking a huge financial risk with Simmons, but this is the cost of acquiring All-NBA talent.
The Kings desperately need defense and rebounding after finishing last in the league in both categories last season. Simmons is a three-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection. He has career averages of 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.7 steals.
Simmons has logged 98% of his minutes at point guard since coming into the league, per basketball-reference.com, but at 6-foot-11 and 240 pounds, he certainly has the size to man a frontcourt position. The Kings wouldn’t need him to be a primary scorer in a lineup with Fox, Haliburton, Harrison Barnes and possibly Richaun Holmes, who is entering restricted free agency. Instead, Simmons would serve as a secondary playmaker and defensive stopper on the wing.
The Kings would have to solve the spacing issues caused by Simmons’ lack of perimeter shooting, but McNair and coach Luke Walton have indicated they would be willing give up something offensively in order to improve on defense.
76ers’ perspective
Trading Simmons for Hield, Bagley and the No. 9 pick in this year’s draft would save the 76ers more than $60 million over the next four years.
Hield, 28, would certainly help the 76ers improve their shooting. He is a career 40.6% 3-point shooter who made more 3-pointers over his first five seasons than any player in NBA history. Hield is entering the second year of a four-year, $86 million contract that will pay him $22.5 million next season. That figure drops to $20.5 million in 2022-23 and $18.6 million in 2023-24.
Bagley, 22, was an All-Rookie First Team selection after averaging 14.9 points and 7.6 rebounds in 2018-19, but he has appeared in only 108 of a possible 226 games due to various injuries over his first three seasons. The setbacks have slowed Bagley’s development, but he has shown promise when healthy and improved his 3-point shooting from 18.2% in 2019-20 to 34.3% last season.
Bagley is owed $11.3 million next season, the final year of his rookie contract. He is eligible for a five-year, $168 million extension, but that kind of money does not appear to be in his immediate future. If Bagley doesn’t sign an extension prior to the 2021-22 season, he will become a restricted free agent next summer.
Where does everyone go from here? Perhaps we’ll find out in the weeks to come. Morey might get better offers for Simmons and McNair might reject the idea of giving up multiple first-round draft picks, but this is still something they should discuss.
This story was originally published July 1, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
