Could San Antonio be the best destination for disgruntled 76ers star Ben Simmons?
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, “Simmons welcomes the opportunity to play for [Gregg] Popovich if Spurs find a way to get him. “
With nearly two months to go until the 2021-22 NBA season, there’s no sign that the rift between Simmons and the 76ers organization will end anytime soon. Simmons still intends not to sue the franchise while Sixers president Daryl Morey patiently awaits the perfect return for the three-time All-Star.
Is the Spurs deal the best option for all parties involved? Let’s dive deeper into what it might look like.
Can the Spurs trade for Ben Simmons?
That’s a two-part answer.
Who can the Spurs trade for Ben Simmons?
According to a report from The Athletic’s Sam Amick, there are “about 30 players” that the 76ers will target in a potential deal for Simmons, so the first part of the answer is whether Spurs have one of the 30. player that the Sixers don’t. on their radar.
THAN: Who are the 30 players? List of possible Simmons . trading targets
When looking at San Antonio’s roster, fifth-year point guard Dejounte Murray is the most likely candidate to be one of Philly’s 30 targeted players around the league. Murray, 25, is a longtime All-round Defensive Team contender and has averaged 18.9 points, 8.5 assists and 8.4 rebounds for the Spurs this season.
As good of a season as Murray is having, he still hasn’t made it past an All-Star stronghold like Simmons did. And while Murray is a perennial contender for the All-Defense Team selection, Simmons was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year just one season ago.
Those differences alone could leave Spurs looking for an upgrade to speed up the rebuilding process, while Murray’s fame and numbers will be far from calming for the Sixers.
Can Spurs earn a salary commensurate with the Ben Simmons deal?
Of course, the other part of the answer is to make the money work.
Simmons, who is in the second year of a five-year, $177.2 million contract, is earning about $33 million this season, according to Spotrac. Murray, who is making $15.4 million this season is the Spurs’ highest-paid player this season, along with Derrick White ($15.1 million), Thaddeus Young ($14.2 million) and Doug McDermott ($13.8 million) will be the other four players earning more than $10 million this year.
To complete a deal, Young’s expired deal is the most reasonable to include unless San Antonio wants to get out of a longer deal like the three-year, $41 deal McDermott signed off-season.
Chosen 12th overall by the Sixers in 2007, things are going to be roundabout for the 14-year veteran. Because Young is on an expiring contract, he cannot be included in any transactions until December 15.
It’s also important to note that the Sixers don’t have any open positions. Philadelphia would have to give up a player to bring in more players in exchange for Simmons or have a third team join, which would make things much more complicated.
Why Ben Simmons will thrive under Gregg Popovich
This is the interesting part.
Simmons’ reported willingness to play for Popovich makes sense given his status as one of the greatest coaches ever to grace the NBA. Popovich, along with his coaching staff, will certainly be able to get the most out of Simmons, potentially propelling him to even MVP.
Your reminder that while Simmons’ last on the NBA floor ended on a sour note, that didn’t detract from his potential as a 6-foot-10 player with foresight. wide, defense and attack potential untapped due to his athleticism.
That’s the type of player Spurs can make the most of and the proof is in the results. Three specific examples come to mind:
Kawhi Leonard
Selected right outside of the lottery, San Antonio beckoned to get Leonard on draft night of 2011. In seven seasons with the franchise, Leonard went from a defensive specialist to a two-man Defensive Player. times of the year into a two-way ace and MVP candidate in his first form.
It’s hard to fathom that anyone would suspect that Leonard is the type of player capable of averaging close to 26 points a game but that’s exactly what he did in his final season as a player. a Spur. Assistant Coach Chip Engelland, also known as “The Shooting Doctor,“played a key role in Leonard’s transformation, which he was able to do with Simmons as well.
Can Engelland turn Simmons into a 50-40-90 guy? Sure is not. But the new setting and a different approach can unlock Simmons in an annoyingly different way,
DeMar DeRozan
DeRozan was already an All-Star and nine years old by the time he got to San Antonio, so there’s no way he could have added anything else to his game, right? Wrong.
A full acquisition from DeRozan has seen him make significant strides in the playmaker role, averaging 6.2 assists per game in his three seasons with Spurs, including including a career-high 6.9 points per game in his final season.
Playmaking is by no means a weak point for Simmons, but the DeRozan example is a reminder that under Popovich, it’s never too late to add a new dynamic to your game.
Tony Parker
A late pick in the first round, Parker wasn’t necessarily a star when he entered the tournament – at least not to the heights he has already reached.
Under the guidance of Popovich and the coaching staff, Parker developed into a six-time All-Star and in 2007 was named the NBA Finals MVP. Credit goes to Parker for buying and working on his game, but Popovich also laid out the blueprint and put him in a position to succeed.
If a deal to bring Simmons to San Antonio can be done, he could exploit another level of stardom.
