In the NBA, perception matters a great deal, and that’s one problem that any GM trading for Ben Simmons would face right now.
David Aldridge of The Athletic weighed in on a possible trade involving Simmons and Damian Lillard, and explained why the Portland Trail Blazers would have a difficult time making that sort of deal, even if it made sense. Aldridge cited an anonymous NBA executive who pointed out that, even if Simmons is very good, there would be major issues and risk from Portland’s standpoint in making that deal.
“Was talking to an unaffiliated team executive Monday (I don’t think his team would be in a potential sweepstakes for Lillard) about whether Simmons would make sense for Portland,” Aldridge shared. “Here’s what the executive said: ‘He (Simmons)’s still really good. But he’s so broken right now, you’re going to get killed if you do that. And, you’re the guy who replaced Dame.'”
Simmons still has believers within the NBA, and teams that clearly want him if the Philadelphia 76ers decide to move him. However, the perception of him is at its worst right now, and fairly or not, a team might struggle to justify acquiring Simmons to its fan base. That has to be considered when it comes to making a deal.
More must-reads: