After a disappointing end to what was a promising playoff run, it seems that teams around the league believe that the Sixers would be willing to trade Ben Simmons for the right price. With Daryl Morey determined to build a championship-caliber roster, filtering through offers to find what will help the Sixers the most is a major part of this and ultimately will be a franchise-altering decision. Just this morning it was reported that the first of these potential offers were turned down by the Sixers:
What Malcolm Brogdon Would Have Brought:
While he may not be the “all-star caliber player” the Sixers appear set on, Malcolm Brogdon does check the box for the perimeter creator that the Sixers’ offense starves for. The 28-year old averaged 21.2 points, 5.9 assists, 5.3 rebounds and connected with three-pointers on a 38.8% rate on 6.7 attempts per game last season with the Pacers. Brogdon has a patient handle, is capable of running an offense, and has progressed steadily since his controversial Rookie of the Year award in 2016-17- which he won over Joel Embiid and Dario Saric.
This has been been a potential move that has been talked about a great deal as the Pacers look to complete their roster and build off their 9th place finish this season. Brogdon would be a solid scoring upgrade for the Sixers and the combo guard did a solid job complimenting Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis in Indiana.
Why the Sixers Were Smart to Say No
There are still three and a half months until the start of next season. The dry, painful, and potentially desperate days of the offseason are still to come and this will be far from the only offer that Daryl Morey will receive. The biggest takeaway from this offer is that it is a great sign for the Sixers if this is the floor value that they could potentially get in return for Simmons.
In many respects, this offer sets the bar for what a potential Ben Simmons trade could look like. Any internet mock trades that would give the Sixers young players and picks should officially get shot down and NBA GMs should have a feel for the type of offer it would take. If there are no players available that impress the Sixers more than Brogdon, this offer likely will still be there in a month or two. Once again there is no need to rush Simmons’ inevitable exit from Philly and the decision in where to send him lies in the trustworthy hands of Daryl Morey.
Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
