Simmons Trade Biting Nets In Offseason Too
The Nets’ acceptance of Ben Simmons as the featured consideration in the blockbuster trade that sent superstar James Harden to Philadelphia at this past season’s trade deadline is looking worse every day.
It was bad enough that Simmons’ physical and mental issues prevented him from suiting up for Brooklyn even once for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs, now it’s haunting the Nets in this pivotal offseason as well.
For as Nets General Manager Sean Marks receives offers for his two remaining disgruntled superstars, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, many of his most desired returns are off limits thanks to the collective bargaining agreement rule that prohibits a team from trading for more than one player who signed a designated max extension off their rookie contracts.
Informed Nets fans have found it hilarious when so-called experts have included top players such as Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns, Miami’s Bam Adebayo. or Utah’s Donovan Mitchell in proposed trades for Durant, since they know those players are off limits so long as Simmons, who inked 5-year, $177 million extension deal with the Sixers in the summer of 2019, remains on Brooklyn’s roster.
As such, the best thing Marks could do, besides convincing Durant and Irving to ride this out for one more season, as he navigates his options is find a way to offload Simmons in a mega-deal or to a third team. You know, like I told you he should have done in February.
For instance, this rumored trade of Irving to the Lakers for Russell Westbrook can’t be real. Not only would the Lakers be receiving the far superior player, the deal also allegedly includes Nets three-point marksman Joe Harris. Sure, why not throw in some first-round picks too.
I get it that Westbrook will be making about $10 million more than Irving’s opt-in salary for 2022-23, but the Lakers are receiving a guy who put up a rarefied 50/40/90 shooting split two seasons ago whereas Westbrook is coming off a brutal season where he shot 44/30/67. As I noted in my last post, I shudder when I imagine the spacing of a Westbrook/Simmons backcourt (plus a non-shooting center like Nicolas Claxton).
Some have reported that the Lakers would prefer the cheaper Seth Curry over Harris. Marks should tell them, “Ok, it’s not enough that you want us to take your anvil contract off your hands, now you take ours. And if you want Irving too, it’ll cost you Anthony Davis. We’ll throw in some of the picks we intend to acquire from trading KD to make it fairer.”
At that point, I’d expect that Los Angeles General Manager Rob Pelinka would hang up the phone, but that’s fine. Marks is under no obligation to send Irving to his preferred destination. Irving might have only a fraction of the market that KD has given that he will be on an expiring contract (versus the four years Durant has left on his) and his penchant for not showing up for work, but there will be some team that will offer something closer to fair value than Westbrook, even if it’s mostly picks.
Since I don’t expect Marks will be successful in finding a trade partner for Simmons, maximizing first-round picks—without protections—can’t be the sole focus on the Durant side of the equation. While Toronto has some appealing assets, I’d hope that Marks will keep KD out of the Eastern Conference to avoid a repeat of the Celtics fiasco from 2013. Therefore, I think Phoenix has enough to offer, especially if they can find a third team to take free agent center Deandre Ayton off their hands (engaging in a sign-and-trade would hard-cap Brooklyn, who could very well be over the apron after all is said and done). How about the picks plus forwards Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson as starters?
Even better, check out this four-team bonanza:
Nets receive: Bridges, Johnson, Phoenix unprotected first-round picks in 2024, 2026, and 2028, plus first-round swaps in 2025, 2027, and 2029, Spencer Dinwiddie, Davis Bertans, and Myles Turner.
Suns receive: Durant
Mavericks receive: Irving
Pacers receive: Ayton, Dallas 2025 second-round pick
The Suns will likely push back hard to avoid losing Bridges, but the reply has to be, “Hey, you’re replacing him with KD.” Phoenix has done all it can to signal to Ayton that they don’t want him anymore, so to dump him on Indiana, which will have the cap space to take in his anticipated $30 million contract while his base year compensation fits into the Phoenix side of the deal snugly, should allow the Suns to keep one of their first-round picks (2023). Indiana would shave three years off the swap of Ayton-for-Turner, though at a significantly higher price. Ergo, the addition of a second-round pick via Dallas, who nonetheless will come out stronger by pilfering Irving for Dinwiddie and Bertans.
As for the Nets, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better package for their two stars without offloading Simmons first. You’d have a starting five of Simmons, Curry, Harris (or recent acquisition Royce O’Neale, depending on Harris’ health), Bridges, and Turner with Dinwiddie, Patty Mills, Johnson, Bertans, Claxton, Harris/O’Neal, and the sophomores as reserves.
It wouldn’t be a terrible team, but one that would lack a star who can get buckets in crunch time. Unless, of course, Simmons actually works on his perimeter game this summer. (Sobs into my beer.)