The season is right around the corner and some of the biggest trade chips remain with their teams. Ben Simmons, Bradley Beal, and CJ McCollum have survived the offseason. Does that mean we will see them stay with their respective teams all year long? That remains up in the air, even with the new reports of Simmons reporting to Philadelphia.
- Ben Simmons To Sacramento Kings
- Bradley Beal To Golden State Warriors
- CJ McCollum To Cleveland Cavaliers
- Next
- A Crazy Mega ‘5-Team’ Deal: Damian Lillard And Bradley Beal To Sixers, Kyrie Irving To Kings, Ben Simmons To Trail Blazers
- Deandre Ayton Is Disappointed He Didn’t Sign Contract Extension With The Suns: “We Were Two Wins Away From Winning A Championship…”
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- Michael Jordan On The 2021-22 NBA Season: “It Is Hard To Knock Out Milwaukee… My Old Team Chicago Made Some Big Changes… Lakers Gonna Comeback…”
- Rare Footage Of Kobe Bryant’s Workout For The Los Angeles Clippers Is Stunning: “Absolutely Insane That He Was This Good Coming Out Of High School.”
Teams are always looking to make a deal. You can never assume you are safe. These three players have been talked about since last year’s trade deadline. As the season approaches, the new deadline will be the trade deadline. These three perfect trade scenarios remain on the table.
Ben Simmons To Sacramento Kings
Trade Package: De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley, 2022 First-Round Pick for Ben Simmons, Tyrese Maxey
The Kings are not going to be a playoff contender. It’s time to start thinking about what is for the future of the franchise. De’Aaron Fox, the former No. 4 overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, has All-Star potential despite never making an All-Star Game. The Kings haven’t finished with a winning record with Fox and yet they still gave him a max contract. At some point, both Fox and the Kings need to realize that a divorce is best for both parties.
Fox remains one of the quickest guards in this league. Fox is just one year younger than Simmons. He would give the 76ers that third piece of offense the team is desperately craving. Last year, Fox had his best season up to date with 25.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. His true position is shooting guard, which the 76ers lack to an extent.
As for the Kings, this would finally allow the team to move on from Marvin Bagley and replace him with some sort of value. Bagley is in a contract year, but the Kings are reluctant to give him any sort of extension now. He has not lived up to expectations, so this trade would give Bagley a chance to prove himself and provide the Kings with a backup point guard in Tyrese Maxey.
The crown jewel would be the Kings starting over with Simmons. While Tyrese Haliburton displayed a strong rookie season, Simmons is a three-time All-Star with Defensive Player of the Year intangibles. Haliburton could coexist with Simmons as the second guard, or he could be dangled for a potential different move. If not, Maxey is a young piece that could also be moved. Either way, it would be a foundational building block as the Kings rebuild.
Bradley Beal To Golden State Warriors
Trade Package: Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, Juan Toscano-Anderson, 2022 First-Round Pick for Bradley Beal
The Warriors are constantly mentioned in these talks because they have the capital to make a major move. Andrew Wiggins is playing well and on an affordable contract. James Wiseman is a former No. 1 ranked recruit that is entering his second season in the league. With these two headlining any package, the Warriors could land a superstar to pair with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
Imagine if the Warriors brought Beal to San Francisco. It wouldn’t just be the “Splash Bros” anymore. It would have to be the “Splash Brothers” or the “Three Splash Amigos.” Somewhere out there, someone has a more catchy name, but you get the point. That would group three of the best overall shooters from the past decade on the same team. Not to mention, it would group the 2021 scoring leader with the runner-up in Beal.
Two thirty-point scorers on the same team are dangerous. This trade would make the Warriors favorites in the Western Conference, potentially over the Los Angeles Lakers. The outside presence that these players would pull on defense would force defenses into a frenzy. Also, the range that both Curry and Beal have is insane. This would have the potential to be the best overall offensive squad that the Warriors ever had and the team once had Kevin Durant on the roster.
As for the Wizards, Beal is in the final year of his deal, so his trade value will be talked about frequently if the team doesn’t win games. If you are Washington, you want to get some value back in return. Wiggins is a 20-point scorer that grew up defensively last year. Wiseman is the center of the future, especially given that Montrezl Harrell is also in a contract year. The first-round pick may not be high, but it is an extra asset. Altogether, this would be a fun team to watch shooting in Golden State, while Washington would be able to begin their full rebuild with a few pieces.
CJ McCollum To Cleveland Cavaliers
Trade Package: Kevin Love, Collin Sexton, 2022 First-Round Pick for CJ McCollum, Anfernee Simmons
The Trail Blazers are stuck in a murky situation, while the Cavaliers have potentially the worst three-year outlook of any franchise in the league. Portland remains wondering if Damian Lillard will be on this team after the trade deadline. Heck, many of us thought he would be gone by now. However, he remains, but given the competitive nature of Portland, he could be out soon.
If Portland wants to keep him, they need to surround the team with better talent. The combination of Lillard and CJ McCollum has run its course. Outside of one Conference Finals appearance, the two don’t have much to show outside of many first-round playoff exits. The Trail Blazers could go young by trying to acquire Collin Sexton, who has been rumored to be on the trade market. Sexton is 22 years old and coming off a season where he averaged 24.3 points per game. McCollum is eight years older and averaged 23.1 points per game.
If Lillard leaves, this gives Portland a young core player to build around. Maybe, the team could convince him that Lillard and Sexton could be like Chris Paul and Devin Booker. Kevin Love has some mojo left in the tank it appears. What is more appealing is that after 2022-2023, his contract expires and the team could go out and get a prime free agent. At that time, Lillard will be 33 years old with plenty left to give.
As for Cleveland, this gets rid of the Love contract, brings back at least a draft pick for Sexton, and gives an option of flipping McCollum to another team. It would be unlikely that McCollum would stay in Cleveland for the next two years. Worst case scenario, the two would find a buyout agreement, which would be even better for Cleveland’s cap issues. The Cavaliers would have to go out and buy a guard in the market or wait until the next draft as they build around Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
Next
A Crazy Mega ‘5-Team’ Deal: Damian Lillard And Bradley Beal To Sixers, Kyrie Irving To Kings, Ben Simmons To Trail Blazers
Deandre Ayton Is Disappointed He Didn’t Sign Contract Extension With The Suns: “We Were Two Wins Away From Winning A Championship…”
Stephen A. Smith On The Nets And Kyrie Irving: “They’re So Disgusted With This Dude. They’d Give His *ss Away For A Box Of Cookies If They Could.“
Michael Jordan On The 2021-22 NBA Season: “It Is Hard To Knock Out Milwaukee… My Old Team Chicago Made Some Big Changes… Lakers Gonna Comeback…”
Rare Footage Of Kobe Bryant’s Workout For The Los Angeles Clippers Is Stunning: “Absolutely Insane That He Was This Good Coming Out Of High School.”
