It will be a fascinating offseason for many NBA teams with plenty of tough decisions to be made. The Golden State Warriors face this type of scenario with the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Could Ben Simmons from the Philadelphia 76ers be a potential option?
The title window for the Warriors is not going to last forever and with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson returning to the lineup, adding another established contributor would go a long way.
According to Brandon Robinson of Heavy.com, there is a chance that Ben Simmons to the Warriors could be a ‘thing’ if Elton Brand’s commitment to keep the Embiid-Simmons duo is just lip-service.
If you take 76ers GM, Elton Brand at his word after Philly’s loss in the NBA Playoffs, he’ll keep the core of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons together. Many critique the duo because of perceived off-court clashing…but that’s off-court. They are a luxury to have.
If you don’t hold Brand at his word and if Rashad Philips is correct on what he’s heard back in the spring, Ben Simmons and the Warriors is a ‘thing.’
The logistics required for the Warriors to pull off a deal with the 76ers for Simmons wouldn’t be easy. Philadelphia would almost surely be required to take on the contract of either Draymond Green or Andrew Wiggins in a potential deal.
If the Warriors held onto Green while bringing in Simmons, there would be the potential for some intriguing lineup combinations. Golden State could go with Green as a small ball center with Simmons at the four spot— enabling the team to switch everything on defense while having no shortage of passing.
It would be important for at least one of Draymond Green or Ben Simmons to convert from beyond the arc on jump shots at a respectable clip. That way teams do not get away with using drop coverage in pick-and-roll situations or have the low man cheat on rotations.
As for the 76ers, they’d need to have confidence in Andrew Wiggins being a complement to Joel Embiid— along with the ability to use the No. 2 pick on a prospect they’re truly enamored with. LaMelo Ball could be a potential option but there are other guards that could be helpful options, too.
NBA Analysis Network brings you up-to-date information, news, and analysis about the 2020 NBA Draft, Golden State Warriors, and Philadelphia 76ers, along with all 30 teams in the league. Make sure to give us a follow on Twitter and like our Facebook page.
