I know I just keep repeating the same thing, but Ben Simmons is a potential win now move with a nice group of young guys the develop. Mindset is everything, and Simmons playing in Portland with an exciting group of young guards could be really fun. Risk and reward. "You've seen people lose confidence in their game... Like Ben Simmons... He's still the same Ben Simmons we watch dominate in Philly. The only difference... is confidence... I know how it feels to lose confidence." —Draymond Green
They're trying to get better with veterans now. Udoka is there and he's still very tight with Brown. I think it's a match made in heaven. They'd probably shell out that super max too.
Physically, if the back is healthy, Simmons is the ideal. I would take a flier on him too. Could he come off the bench and run an offense?
You have to get some picks to take on him though. I also would be happy with being the Simmons rehab facility, but Portland has to be compensated with picks.
Simmons is such a knucklehead I'm not sure you want him around a young team Although if you made him a *point* center or *point* power forward, and he ever became what he was, then that would definitely be a win. I have my doubts all around.
I think it would be understood that a trade for Ben would mean having him sit at home until his contract expires. But if we aren’t getting an additional 1st for taking him, why bother taking him on.
Does anyone know what Jacquez can actually be? On one hand, I feel like getting back Martin and Jovic is a decent return with the 3 unprotected 1sts and pick swaps. Sharpe, Martin, and Grant are all shooters that Scoot can play with right away. We can find big men to play the PnR with Ant and Scoot. Buuut if Jacquez was actually any good, maybe it’s better to have the young guy for another four years. We’d be worst in the near term to get better picks, but I’d rather get Martin and try to have a playoff run like the Grizzlies did a couple seasons ago or the Kings last year.
Could be the case though I think if he was around a young and fun team, with no expectations, in a smaller market like Portland he'd have a better chance to get back at least somewhat closer to what he was. Him being healthy "physically is likely a greater concern than mentally. Realistically very little would be "expected" of him so I think for him that would be a big deal "mentally".
Portland gets: MIA 2027 First round pick, 2028 First round pick Toronto gets something that makes them more interested
I wonder what we could get if we traded his expiring contract. If the new CBA is *that* big of a deal, maybe expirings will have more value than they did have as of late. RLEC 2.0? BSEC?
I kind of hate the "tank for position" philosophy (though it's seemed to work out for us the last two years). The Process (and by extension, Embiid and Simmons) didn't reach the potential partially because there was no accountability, no "play the right way", no "get into the system and get better by getting continuity with playing together the way we need to to win in the playoffs." That may be years away, but it's bad to not be building toward it immediately with the young guys. I'd rather have mature winners who prepare and play the right way, even without the ceiling (Sharpe and Scoot have that) on a rebuilding team. Pop's actually (surprise, surprise) good at this...SAS actually was still running sets at the end last year, vice the DET and HOU "roll the ball out and whoever has it after halfcourt gets to shoot" seasons. Or whatever the heck we were doing at the end.
Additionally, I'm a fan of pick swaps and trading out for this reason. I'd like to control my own destiny as a team/front office. Keep winning, and our picks will be late firsts every year. But we can keep a cycle going where we're getting firsts for cap space and exceptions, saving teams hundreds of millions in repeater tax for a few future firsts or swaps. Trading players we drafted in the 2nd or UFAs who got better in S&Ts for picks and younger players. Make it so that the Draft Lottery is someone else's pick being conveyed to us. And build a winner.
Toronto doesn't do this in a million years. Two bad contracts for their best player and filler? No way.
That’s why I’m still a fan of pair Martin with Grant if we get Clowney and Jovic in return as well. I could only imagine the spacing Scoot will have. With the pace of play I’m imagining us playing, guards can average 20/10 and still play within a system. I think Scoot can average 10apg. On offense, Martin and Grant are both great shooters. Sharpe is a budding #1 option on offense, and Grant is a really good third scorer who can get his own shot to bail out Scoot and Sharpe. On defense, Martin is a hard-nosed defender and Grant is a great help defender. Scoot, Sharpe, and Grant also all have elite wingspans at their height. C remains a question but is a quick fix. Trade for Capela or Allen (for Grant) to fill that void. Between Clowney, Jovic, Kris, Nas if you still want to include him, there are a handful of guys where a pop from one guy could turn us into the next Grizzlies.
