NBA Rumors: Ben Simmons-For-Paul George Trade Could Give Sixers ‘Better Shot’ At Winning Title Next Season
Despite suffering a first-round elimination in the 2020 Playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers remain hesitant about the idea of breaking up their young superstar duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid this offseason. However, they are expected to change their mind about giving up one of their franchise cornerstones if they are presented with a blockbuster deal that would enable them to acquire another All-Star caliber talent in return. One of the potential trades the Sixers could explore this fall would send Los Angeles Clippers small forward Paul George to the City of Brotherly Love.
According to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports, the Sixers could send a package that includes Simmons to Los Angeles in exchange for George and Landry Shamet. Though Simmons has huge superstar potential, the proposed scenario would make a lot of sense for the Sixers. Hughes believes trading him for George would give the Sixers a “better shot” at fully dominating the Eastern Conference and winning the NBA championship title.
“It is fair to question whether Philly would do this deal, as Simmons is six years younger than George. But the Sixers would also get back Shamet, whom they traded to L.A. for Tobias Harris. He’s a solid young two-guard who has the potential to be one of the league’s best shooters. And George could play well off of Joel Embiid, potentially giving them a better shot at chasing a title in the next two-to-three years than they would have with Simmons.”
George may have gone through plenty of ups and downs last season, but he would be a much better superstar running mate for Embiid than Simmons. Unlike the former No. 1 overall pick, George can efficiently shoot the ball from the three-point range. This season, he averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
Though he’s not as good as Simmons, George is also capable of running the floor and making plays for his teammates.
Aside from George, the proposed deal would also allow the Sixers to bring Shamet back to Philadelphia. Shamet would give the Sixers a young and promising talent and another reliable perimeter threat around Embiid.
Meanwhile, for the Clippers, the suggested trade would enable them to replace George with another All-Star talent who could help them address their need for a starting-caliber point guard. Having a quality playmaker like Simmons on their roster would help the Clippers maximize Kawhi Leonard’s full ability on the court. However, to have a better chance of dethroning the Los Angeles Lakers, the Clippers should highly prioritize surrounding Simmons and Leonard with elite three-point shooters next season.
