The more and more the 2021-22 NBA season rolls along, the more questions get brought up about whether or not the Philadelphia 76ers are true title contenders or not. Seeing as they have dealt with a bunch of injuries and guys being in and out of health protocols, it is hard to get a gauge on whether or not this team is legit, but one thing we do know is that Joel Embiid cannot carry them on his own.
Embiid has been injury-prone over the last several years and if he has to carry the burden of this franchise on his own, the 76ers are just setting themselves up to be without him for a long period of time. Tobias Harris is a really solid offensive-minded player next to the Sixers’ center, but this team is missing that third key talent that Ben Simmons held the reins of.
Whether or not the 76ers can win a championship with Simmons on their roster is a whole different story, but one thing that is for certain is that the Philadelphia 76ers are not as good of a team as the likes of the Nets, Bucks, Heat and possibly even the Bulls in the Eastern Conference.
Seth Curry, Shake Milton and Tyrese Maxey have stepped up with Ben Simmons being away from the team, but none of these three guys have that “it” factor that it takes to be an elite-level player in the NBA. Philadelphia needs to move Simmons as soon as possible and get this third key talent, otherwise, they will likely lose in the first-round of the playoffs this year.
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Seeing as they have tried to move their All-Star 7-footer since the offseason with no takers given their requests for what they want back, the Sixers options are limited at this point, but they do not necessarily need to get an All-Star In return to be a contending team.
There are plenty of players out there in the NBA that could make this 76ers team better than they currently are, one of which is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The 23-year-old combo-guard has turned himself into a high-level talent on a rebuilding team in Oklahoma City, but is he available in trade discussions right now?
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The Oklahoma City Thunder have shown no indications that they are willing to part ways with their young guard, but it is possible that Sam Presti would be willing to discuss a trade centered around Gilgeous-Alexander if Ben Simmons was offered.
Simmons could come to the Thunder and immediately become the face of their rebuild amongst other athletic, young talents, giving OKC a great backbone to become a high-level defensive team. Could we see the 76ers and the Thunder be involved in a blockbuster trade involving both Ben Simmons and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?
