Options In The Western Conference

The Sacramento Kings seem to be “out of the running” for now to possibly land Ben Simmons because of the lack of talent they can offer up.

The Kings do not want to give up De’Aaron Fox or Tyrese Haliburton, but the 76ers do not want a trade package consisting of Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, and/or Marvin Bagley III since they are in a “win-now” position. 

Minnesota and San Antonio are in the same spot as the Kings in terms of not having All-Star-like talents to offer up, but they both still have some valuable trade assets.

The Timberwolves are definitely a favorite to land Simmons because they could try to pull off a three-team deal to find another All-Star to send to Philly while also trading the likes of D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jaden McDaniels, and some draft picks.

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Meanwhile, the Spurs have Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Lonnie Walker IV, and Keldon Johnson as young building blocks with value. San Antonio lacks a clear-cut franchise cornerstone to build around and could be motivated to find one.

The Houston Rockets have been floated as a potential option in a Simmons trade in speculation by various NBA analysts. However, the pathway to getting a deal done appears to be too challenging on the surface. John Wall is earning a supermax and isn’t near close to that in terms of the production he provides.

Neither of these Western Conference teams necessarily check the boxes that Daryl Morey is likely looking for in a trade for Simmons. However, with decreasing leverage, they are certainly worth monitoring.