Philadelphia 76ers: A Ben Simmons trade will change the NBA landscape

A Ben Simmons trade will have a ripple effect across the entire NBA. 

I think anyone that keeps up with the NBA saw this one coming, but rumors aren’t true until they are made true. Tuesday afternoon, it was made known that Ben Simmons told the Philadelphia 76ers brass that he intends to never play another game for the team, essentially forcing his own trade.

Daryl Morey and the Sixers’ front office have a major decision ahead of them. Moving Simmons and receiving the level of compensation they want for the 25-year-old forward may be a little difficult.

No matter where Ben Simmons is traded, this move will have major ripple effects across the NBA. Let’s dive in on what these ripple effects could be.

How a Ben Simmons trade impacts the East

The obvious place to start is the team that currently has Ben Simmons under contract, the Sixers. Losing a player of Simmons’ caliber (even though he stunk in the playoffs) will be a negative for the team. Depending on what kind of trade package they get in return will ultimately decide how far the Sixers will fall down the Eastern Conference pecking order.

With Simmons’ trade value being tanked since the playoffs, I feel like it will be difficult to get the maximum value from a team. Don’t get me wrong Simmons is a really good basketball player but the question marks around his shooting and decision-making have had a real effect in trade talks.

As for the rest of the Eastern Conference, a real opportunity awaits. With the Sixers on the cusp of moving their second-best player, teams like the Pacers, Bulls, Celtics, Knicks, Hawks, Heat are eager to push ahead of the 76ers moving forward. It will be interesting to see where the No. 1 seed from this past playoffs lands this year.

Also, you have to think about if a dark horse team in the East makes a move for Simmons like the Cleveland Cavaliers for instance. A trade for Simmons could propel the Cavaliers into the playoff picture which they have been yearning for ever since LeBron James left for Los Angeles.

The contention window for the 76ers may be closing fast. The flip side to this could see the Sixers become an eventual upset alert team depending on who they acquire from the Simmons trade and the seed they land on.

How a Ben Simmons trade impacts the West

It’s been reported that Simmons’ preferred destinations are the California teams. That would be the Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, and Kings. We will throw the Lakers and Clippers out because I feel they don’t have nearly enough to trade for the 76ers to say yes. That leaves the Warriors and Kings as the only California teams that Simmons would be interested in.

The Warriors would obviously be the No. 1 destination for Simmons. Golden State has a championship-level culture spearheaded by Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.

Adding Simmons to that equation only makes the Warriors better and could return them to the hierarchy of the West. Golden State has young talent and picks to throw at the 76ers but how much would they be willing to give up is the main question.

The Kings are in a very different situation than the Warriors. The Kings have been stuck between the basement of the league and mediocrity for quite some time now. A trade for Simmons could breathe back life in this franchise in their quest to make the postseason for the first time since 2006 (ouch).

A similar franchise is trying to get themselves in the Simmons sweepstakes, the Minnesota Timberwolves have had their name pop up as a possible destination. A combination of Karl-Anthony Towns, Simmons, and either D’Angelo Russell or Anthony Edwards would be a solid big three for a team looking to get themselves back into the playoff picture.

The Houston Rockets are also a team whose name has been thrown around in trade rumors as well. It would be interesting to see what sort of deal would be good enough for the 76ers if sending Simmons to the Rockets. The Rockets have some intriguing young talent and a ton of picks in the war chest from the James Harden trade. Even John Wall could be a potential player thrown in this deal.

A Simmons trade to a Western Conference team could have huge ramifications. If the Warriors decide they want to trade for the young forward, it would undoubtedly make them favorites to win the title. If Simmons is traded to one of the lower West teams like Sacramento or Minnesota, teams like the Trail Blazers, Grizzlies, and Pelicans will all be in trouble as those teams will look to take their spots in the bottom end of the Western Conference playoff picture.