Ben Simmons to the Toronto Raptors
The trade: Ben Simmons for Kyle Lowry and Gary Trent Jr.
This is another trade that I love for both teams, especially the Sixers.
Philly would get a proven champion in Kyle Lowry. Just an absolute dog, who would provide a level of toughness in the playoffs that the Sixers have been missing since “The Process” started. Plus, he would be a perfect fit alongside Embiid.
They would also get a young talented defender in Gary Trent Jr. who has had invaluable experience in the playoffs with the Blazers guarding the likes of LeBron.
He also proved last year with Toronto that he is more than capable of creating his own shot and putting the ball in the bucket. Last year he averaged a career-high, 15.3 points per game on 38.5 percent shooting from downtown.
Lowry and Trent are exactly what the Sixers need: tough, team players, with an outside shot, and the ability to create their own shot.
As for the Raptors, well, I keep bringing this up but it’s true: trading or drafting is the only way for a low-market team to get a legitimate star.
Similar to the Kings, I’m not sure how the basketball fit would be alongside the likes of Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, but if you’re Toronto you still do it, because Lowry is in the back half of his career and the Raptors should start to rebuild.
So there you have it: Five possible deals Ben Simmons trades that make some sense.
Realistically, a Ben Simmons deal won’t happen for a while. Daryl Morey will wait out a bit for the stick of the postseason to die down before he deals Simmons. But he will get traded. You can take that to the bank. Sixers fans will riot if they don’t.