Ben Simmons wants the Philadelphia 76ers to trade him out west, but it appears a team in the Eastern Conference is interested in acquiring him. The Cleveland Cavaliers have been mentioned as a possible suitor for Simmons, and NBA reporter Marc Stein says they are monitoring the situation. What’s perhaps more surprising is that Stein mentions Lauri Markkanen, whom the Cavs recently acquired in a sign-and-trade, as a potential trade piece.
This isn’t the first we have heard of the Cavs having their eye on Simmons. They were among several teams listed a while back as being interested in Simmons as a potential playmaking forward rather than a guard.
Initial reporting suggested Simmons hoped to land with one of the four California-based teams, however Fox Sports’ Chris Broussard suggested that the former No. 1 pick was open to any of the other 29 NBA franchises.
Advertisement
The Cavaliers has control over all of its first-round picks, so in theory it could offer Philadelphia a package of picks similar to what Brooklyn gave up for James Harden. The Cavaliers also have Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, two young players with All-Star potential that could help out the 76ers right now.
While Simmons is a liability on offense, he is still just 25 years old and one of the league’s best defensive players. The 76ers seem poised on waiting until they find a great offer, but the problem is, nobody knows exactly what the 76ers want.