The 76ers have become a desperate Western Conference contender, looking to unload Ben Simmons for the right return.
The 76ers are desperate for a playoff berth and have made it clear that they will trade Ben Simmons if they don’t get the right offer. The Pacers are one of the teams interested in Simmons, but the Sixers want more than just a future first-round pick.
The Philadelphia 76ers are still looking for a trade partner for Ben Simmons, but they’ve been unsuccessful thus far. Simply simply, no club will pay top cash for the irritated point guard. Desperation may be the only thing that allows a Simmons deal to happen.
The Denver Nuggets have arrived.
Jamal Murray has yet to return from his torn ACL, P.J. Dozier has been declared out for the season due to his own ACL injury, and now Michael Porter Jr. will miss the whole season after undergoing his third back surgery on Wednesday. At 10-10, the undermanned Nuggets are clinging to a postseason berth, and the 76ers would be prudent to call them as soon as possible.
The Nuggets are on the verge of losing another season.
Nuggets supporters had dreamed that their club may have made it to the Western Conference Finals at some time in the previous few years, thanks to Nikola Jokic’s development into one of the best players in the NBA. Denver, on the other hand, has been eliminated from the playoffs in the conference semifinals three years in a row.
Last year, the Nuggets had a reasonable justification. Jamal Murray tore his ACL in a game against the Golden State Warriors only a few weeks before the playoffs started and has yet blew return to the floor. Denver beat the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round without Murray, but it couldn’t keep up with the Phoenix Suns in Round 2 and was swept.
An unforeseen injury derailed Jokic’s MVP season, and things have only grown worse this season.
Dozier tore his ACL less than a week ago and will miss the remainder of the season. Despite Jokic’s outstanding performance, the Nuggets are 10-10 and in ninth place in the Western Conference after 20 games. Porter will have another back surgery this week and will miss the remainder of the season, the club said on Monday.
Denver is now missing three of its best players due to Murray’s knee injury, with the majority of the season remaining to be played. Even if Jokic has another MVP season, he will not be able to lead the Nuggets to the playoffs.
In Denver, it’s crunch time.
The 76ers must contact the Nuggets about Ben Simmons.
During a game against the Denver Nuggets, Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on | Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Only a quarter of the way through the season, the Nuggets have reached a fork in the road. Do they wait until 2021-22 and risk wasting another year of Jokic’s peak, or do they make a deal before the trade deadline and attempt to break through the Western Conference’s depths?
If Denver really wants to win it all, the 76ers need to call them before it’s too late.
The Nuggets may be on the lookout for a lengthy, defensive-minded forward to replace Porter now that he is out for the season. Sure, Simmons is a point guard, but he is over seven feet tall and weights 240 pounds. He can go in for Porter in the starting lineup and instantly improve Denver’s defensive identity.
With Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Monte Morris, and Will Barton beginning, the Nuggets have enough offensive firepower that Simmons won’t be under any pressure to score much off the dribble. Imagine the open looks Denver’s shooters would receive if they had two talented passers on the court at the same time like Jokic and Simmons.
Is a Ben Simmons-to-Jamal Murray trade beneficial to both teams?
Murray would be the only name that makes sense in a prospective deal with the Nuggets, as Daryl Morey still wants a star in exchange for Simmons. Both Simmons and Murray are in the second year of their five-year contracts, and Denver would only need to add one more player to make the deal work financially.
Is a Simmons-Murray exchange, though, beneficial to both teams?
There’s a case to be made for it. In the playoffs, Denver has struggled to keep powerful scorers from stuffing the box score. Simmons would fill a huge vacuum on the Nuggets’ roster, since they haven’t had a defensive stopper like him on the team in a few years.
The 76ers, on the other hand, haven’t had a go-to guard who can take over a game and relieve Joel Embiid of pressure late in games. Murray has the ability to transform into that person in an instant. Philadelphia also has the luxury of waiting until Murray is fully recovered before returning to the floor. This Denver club, which is severely undermanned, does not.
It’s improbable that the Nuggets would make a Simmons deal right now, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
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The 76ers have been in a desperate position for quite some time now. They are one of the worst teams in the league, and they don’t seem to be getting any better. In an effort to try and save their season, they opened up the door for them to unload Ben Simmons. Reference: ben simmons won t play.
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