Hoops Habit
Fansided

Philadelphia 76ers: A groundbreaking, 4-team mega trade proposition

By Simon Smith

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 28: Markelle Fultz #20 and Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers react against Melbourne United in the preseason game at Wells Fargo Center on September 28, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 28: Markelle Fultz #20 and Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers react against Melbourne United in the preseason game at Wells Fargo Center on September 28, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

This four-team, mega trade involving the Philadelphia 76ers and three other playoff contenders is certainly worth taking into consideration.

As the calendar year ticks over, a number of teams around the league are still searching for ways to upgrade their respective rosters.

One of these teams is the Philadelphia 76ers. While currently sitting in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings, they have yet to take the next step following their monumental rise last season. The Sixers have already been busy in the trade market this season, offloading starting forwards Robert Covington and Dario Saric in exchange for All-Star Jimmy Butler.

Butler has demonstrated in patches just what he has to offer the Sixers moving forward, but questions remain among many onlookers as to the future composition of this team. In particular, it’s the working relationship between Butler and point guard Ben Simmons with All-Star center Joel Embiid.

While Butler is capable of shooting from range, he is more comfortable in creating his own shot and cutting to the rim. As a for Simmons, his complete lack of an outside shot when complementing the inside presence of Embiid is not seen as ideal fit in many circles.

One noted option came recently from Ben Golliver of The Washington Post. On a recent Open Floor podcast, Golliver outlines his reasoning:

"“When should Philly consider trading Simmons for maximum value and what returns would be worth trading away a player of his quality?….Now that being acknowledged, I’ve had serious questions about his fit in Philadelphia ever since the Butler trade happened….I tend to agree that Simmons isn’t a part of this group moving forward. And I would seriously explore trading Simmons.”"

Additionally, Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer also weighed in on a recent The Ringer NBA Show podcast:

"“I think they have got to trade Ben Simmons. I feel like this is not going to work long-term. You’ve got Jimmy Butler. You’ve got Joel Embiid. They want the ball. Ben can’t play off the ball, Ben needs the ball. It’s, like, a pretty simple equation. To me, this year in the playoffs, when Jimmy and Joel have the ball, no one’s going to guard Ben Simmons and people are going to sour on him really fast. I think Ben’s very, very talented, obviously, but I think he needs his own team.”"

As part of a potential deal for the Sixers, two playoff contenders and a young, emerging team find themselves in a position of trying to upgrade their roster for a variety of reasons.

With this in mind, here’s an overview of the predicament facing the other three teams involved in the deal.