The Phoenix Suns have gotten off to a roaring hot start in Orlando, going 7-0 to remain as the only undefeated team of the restart.
While the team is far from panic mode right now, they might still have questions about just how far Book is capable of leading them. In five seasons with the team, this is the first time the Suns have looked this good. Are these bubble games the real deal, or are they a fluke?
Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, the partnership between Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons is looking uncertain and many believe the team could be ready to break it up this offseason.
In an interesting trade proposal, Bleacher Report‘s Zach Buckley explained how a Booker/Simmons swap between the Suns and Sixers could work for everyone.
While the Suns are finally starting to rise, they might have questions about how high they can climb with Booker as their centerpiece. While the Sixers have one of the most talented rosters in the league, they might have doubts over whether it can all come together with Simmons running point.
Could that be enough kindling to spark this trade fire? It’s at least an interesting mental exercise.
For the 76ers, Booker is exactly the type of player that would compliment Embiid’s game.
Booker is the kind of dynamic shot-maker Embiid needs around him. While he seems like the potential missing piece for the Embiid-Simmons twosome, Philly doesn’t have the trade chips to get him without giving back a star. The addition of Rubio—a clever creator who holds his own defensively and fires up a few threes per game—offsets some of the sting of Simmons’ departure.
The Suns would struggle to part with Booker, but Simmons’ ceiling may be higher and his presence would elevate the game of his teammates.
Meanwhile, Phoenix would leave the exchange feeling like it’s rostering a superstar for the first time since Steve Nash departed the desert.
Simmons’ downhill attacking might make the league’s best transition offense even more potent, and he could be the chess piece needed to elevate the Suns’ 17th-ranked defense. He’s an extreme version of a do-it-all stopper, and he’d give Phoenix some bite as the head of the snake.
Needless to say, it is a deal that benefits both sides, even if it is a major risk. Either way, expect both teams to consider their options this offseason.
