New trade suggestion has Sixers moving star Ben Simmons to Rockets
Thanksgiving has passed and Ben Simmons is still a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.
While the 25-year-old three-time All-Star ended his holdout, his first attempt to force a trade out of Philadelphia, he has yet to play while he addresses some mental issues.
While Simmons has begun seeing a mental professional to help him get back out onto the floor, he still wants out. The Sixers have maintained that they want to keep the star guard, but all signs point to an eventual trade.
A new trade suggestion from Bleacher Report has the Sixers moving Simmons, along with Isaiah Joe and Charles Bassey, to the Houston Rockets for Eric Gordon, Danuel House Jr., D.J. Augustin, 2023 first-round pick (via Milwaukee Bucks), 2025 first-round pick (top-three-protected).
B/R on the Sixers side of the deal:
Though the Sixers would love to get an All-Star talent in return for Simmons, his value is too low and likely won’t climb as long as he doesn’t take the floor in Philly.
The team’s best bet may be to move Simmons for a combination of immediate help, young players and future picks, making the 76ers better in the short term while keeping the door open to a future star trade.
Gordon (13.1 points, 42.3 percent from three) would be a strong rotation member who has a good salary-matching contract ($18.2 million). House is a good wing defender who’s hit 38.1 percent of his threes this year and Augustin gives Philly another ball-handler with Simmons gone. The Sixers also collect a pair of first-round picks from Houston they can use in a future trade.
This is not the deal that president Daryl Morey would pull the trigger on. While the site makes a good point about looking for immediate help to try to win a title, the Sixers would rather remain patient and wait for a Damian Lillard or a Bradley Beal to shake free.
Until then, they will have to do their best to make the Simmons situation work for both sides. While Philadelphia might be frustrated with the young star — and rightfully so — it will have to find a way to make this work.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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