The Los Angeles Lakers are going to be extremely aggressive in the summer, as even if they don’t have a president of basketball operations as of today, they know that they cannot waste another year of LeBron James’ contract.
With that in mind and considering how many top-tier free agents are going to be up for grabs in the summer, they’re going to try and make a run at pretty much every single superstar in the league, for sure.
However, they could even wind up getting another star via trade in the summer: Ben Simmons. Unlikely as it may seem, that’s actually a huge possibility, and we’re going to let you know how that could happen:
Elton Brand Wanted To Trade Ben Simmons
As per recent reports, Elton Brand wanted to get rid of Ben Simmons as soon as he took over as the Philadelphia 76ers’ General Manager. He thought of Simmons as an uncoachable player that was reluctant to behave on and off the court, and that needed to develop a jump shot.
Naturally, the Sixers categorically denied Brand’s request to move on from Simmons, as they view him as a major part of their project and think of him as the only untouchable player other than Joel Embiid.
The Sixers Don’t Make The Eastern Conference Finals
But, just let’s assume for a second that the Philadephia 76ers choke once again in the playoffs and don’t make it to the Eastern Conference Finals this season, which is a huge possibility due to Embiid’s health.
That would most likely mean both Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris would head out the door in free agency and the team would be kind of stuck on an island with few players to put around Simmons and Embiid.
Toronto Raptors are probably the best team in the East, and it will be a real challenge for the Sixers to beat Kawhi Leonard in this series.
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Klutch Sports And LeBron James
Ben Simmons is actually represented by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, the same agency that represents LeBron James, Anthony Davis and John Wall. This summer is going to be very important for the Lakers, and if they fail to land Anthony Davis, they should try to get Ben Simmons.
James has always had nothing but praise for Simmons in the past, and it would be epic to see them together on the court in LA.
Brandon Ingram’s Health
Brandon Ingram’s health is a huge question mark and the Lakers need to be smart and try to move him right away, even with his value at an all-time low right now. They could offer him along Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma to get Simmons back and start competing right away.
The Sixers would have a great playmaker and defender in Ball, a great role player with a lot of upside in Hart, a promising prospect in Ingram and Kuzma as a guy that’s already ready to contribute, while the Lakers would have another top-tier playmaker that could even carry LeBron’s torch once he’s out of the team.
