Atlanta Hawks Receive: G/F Ben Simmons, NYK 2021 2nd Round Pick

Philadelphia 76ers Receive: F John Collins, F Cam Reddish, ATL 2023 1st Round Pick (Lottery Protected)

Just by looks, it does not seem like the Atlanta Hawks are giving up a lot for Ben Simmons, but that is quite the opposite. Both John Collins and Cam Reddish were first-round picks not too long ago and have a load of potential moving forward.

In his third season in the NBA, John Collins had a monster year, averaging 21.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and shooting 58.3% from the floor, 40.1% from three-point range. His emergence as one of the best, young forwards in the game has made him very valuable and a player that could be a major part of a championship core moving forward. 

Cam Reddish only played in 58 games during his rookie season last year and put together a really solid season. He averaged 10.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.1 steals and shot 38.4% from the floor and 33.2% from three-point range. While his shooting numbers are low, Reddish is a much better shooter than the statistics say, as he is a knock-down three-point shooter. Last season, Cam Reddish showed a lot of potential to be a great defender as well, given his lateral quickness and 7’1” wingspan.

While Ben Simmons has been great early in his career with the 76ers, this organization needs to really evaluate if Simmons is a player that can help win them a championship. He is a great passer and elite-level defender, but he cannot score outside of the paint and teams know this. Last season, numerous teams did not even guard Ben Simmons on the perimeter, almost daring him to shoot the basketball.

It is crazy to think that a guy that is getting paid over $30M per year in today’s NBA cannot shoot the basketball, but Simmons knows what he does best and sticks to it. Flipping Simmons for Collins and Reddish, two legit threats on both ends of the court could be exactly what the 76ers need to push them into the NBA Finals.

Let’s take a look at why this trade would make sense for both the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers.