NBA Rumors: Sixers Should Trade Joel Embiid Or Ben Simmons In 2020 Offseason, According To ‘ESPN’ Analyst
The Philadelphia 76ers headed into the Orlando bubble with the goal of proving that they are capable of fully dominating the Eastern Conference and bringing home the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the 2019-20 NBA season. Unfortunately, the Sixers failed to live up to expectations for a legitimate title contender. To make things worse, one of their main men — Ben Simmons — is set to undergo an arthroscopic surgery that will keep him on the sidelines for the rest of the season. As the Sixers’ chances of winning the NBA championship continue to decrease, rumors have once again started to swirl around Simmons and Joel Embiid, and their future with the team.
In a recent appearance on ESPN’s Get Up, via YouTube, Jalen Rose discussed several topics and shared his opinion on what the Sixers should do with their young superstar duo of Simmons and Embiid. For Rose, he thinks the Sixers are better off doing the same thing the Oklahoma City Thunder did with Paul George last summer.
“It’s time to consider it,” Rose said, as transcribed by SportsRadio 94 WIP. “This time last year, Damien Lillard in the playoffs shot down the Oklahoma City Thunder and broke their team up to the point where Paul George is now with the Clippers and Russell Westbrook is now with the Rockets. Did you see what the Oklahoma City Thunder got for Paul George when they traded him? They got so many first round picks. Of course, you don’t want to give up on young super-star Joel Embiid when healthy and Ben Simmons, an All-NBA performer. But, those two players are your best value play.”
Simmons and Embiid are indeed two of the fastest-rising superstars in the league, but they don’t seem destined to play together on one team. In the years they’ve spent in Philadelphia, it’s very noticeable that both superstars don’t efficiently co-exist. To maximize their full potential on the court, Simmons and Embiid need the type of teammates that are capable of spacing the floor.
Trading Simmons and Embiid would undeniably be a tough decision for the Sixers, but it’s really something that they should strongly consider in the 2020 offseason if they suffer an early playoff exit. Once Simmons or Embiid becomes officially available on the trading block, there will surely be some teams that are willing to pay a king’s ransom to acquire either of them from the Sixers. Getting the same package that OKC got from PG-13 would enable the Sixers to rebuild and construct a more competitive roster this fall.
