Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will already know about the drama circulating around Ben Simmons.
After a concerning showing in the 2021 playoffs (in which his shooting struggles got exposed), the relationship between Ben and the Sixers has tanked dramatically. Instead of looking forward to next season, Philadelphia is stuck looking inward, questioning what they should do with their disgruntled young star.
Despite reports that the Sixers may end up keeping Simmons, it’s a near certainty at this point that both sides are headed for a breakup.
In a recent segment on First Things First, FOX Sports analyst Chris Broussard suggested a swap between Philly and the Warriors that would see NBA veteran Draymond Green land with the Sixers.
Here’s his case:
“If they get Ben Simmons, they’ll still be a good team. But overall, I’m out on this. Because I think Ben is a younger, better version of Draymond Green. And what I would do if I’m the Warriors, I would include Draymond in the trade! So I’ll send them Draymond, and I hate to give up the young kid, but James Wiseman for Ben Simmons. And now I have Ben Simmons play the role that Draymond has been playing. The playmaker, the great defender. He can be in the dunker spot on offense when he’s not moving the ball.”
This is hardly the first time Simmons and Draymond have been compared to each other. As a defensive-minded playmaker, much of Ben’s game overlaps with Draymond’s.
As is good as Draymond has been for Golden State, Ben is younger and, arguably, better at this stage of his career.
So, the Warriors get a major upgrade on the wing while maintaining their core of Curry, Thompson, and Wiggins. Ben could allow both Steph and Klay to play off-ball, and there’d be a lot less pressure for him to develop an outside jumper.
Of course, the Sixers get an established veteran and a solid young player in the deal.
It’s a win-win for both sides that remains nothing more than a pipe-dream for now. We’ll see soon enough how it all plays out in the end.
