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Ben Simmons' confidence looks completely gone.
The 76ers point guard attempted only four field goals in Philadelphia's humbling Game 7 loss to the very beatable Hawks, afraid of what would happen if he was fouled. That's understandable, I guess, since he went 24 for 71 from the free throw line (yes, you read that correctly) in a postseason that's now over for him.
It's hard to blame just one player when a playoff series goes awry, but Simmons' inability to make free throws and his unwillingness to shoot in crunch time (he didn't attempt a field goal in the fourth quarter of the 76ers final four games against Atlanta) were big factors in Philadelphia's disappointing finish.
Now the 76ers will come to a crossroads, which Patrick Reusse and I talked about on Monday's Daily Delivery podcast.
It's hard to come back from the place Simmons is at right now, particularly when other key stakeholders don't seem to have his back. Joel Embiid, the co-star in Philadelphia's "process" rebuild with Simmons, singled out Simmons passing up a dunk to dish to a teammate who was fouled in a pivotal moment in Game 7.
Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers after Game 7, when asked if Simmons could be a point guard on a championship team, replied: "I don't know the answer to that right now."
Ouch.
A trade this summer seems logical, even if Simmons still has four years left on his contract and can be a devastating player on defense and in the open floor. If Philadelphia comes to that conclusion, the Wolves are one team that might make some sense.
Wait, didn't I just write about all of Simmons' flaws? Didn't his own coach just question whether you could win a championship with him? Yes and yes. But ...
At the risk of drowning in the irony of the latest Daily Delivery promo recorded by Wolves beat writer Chris Hine — which references blog posts I write about trades the Wolves should make for players they will never get — I am going to at least briefly go down that road.
First, Simmons' value is lower than it typically would be. That's often a good time to acquire a player.
Second, he might be a better fit in Minnesota than he is in Philadelphia. As we saw in the second half of this past season, offense isn't the problem. The Wolves were No. 11 in offensive efficiency but No. 28 in defensive efficiency post-break in going 16-20. That was often with Ricky Rubio, similar to Simmons in that he is limited as a shooter, starting at point guard.
The Wolves also have an off guard in Anthony Edwards who is becoming increasingly comfortable handling the ball, scoring and distributing. He could be paired with Simmons to create a dynamic offensive and defensive pairing.
What would it take to get Simmons? That's a good question, particularly considering his value probably took a hit. He's set to make between $33 million and $40 million each of the next four seasons, so quite a bit of salary would need to go out.
The easiest swap would be point guard for point guard, salary for salary: D'Angelo Russell to the 76ers for Simmons. It works in the Trade Machine and the money is pretty similar, though Russell has just two years left on his deal. The Wolves would probably have to include another young player or draft pick because Simmons, even with his flaws, contributes more to winning than Russell.
But I could see Russell being a good fit in Philadelphia — someone who helps space the floor for Embiid and distributes to shooters like Seth Curry and Tobias Harris.
A more complex swap would include Malik Beasley, some other mid-salary Wolves players and a draft pick — one the 76ers would presumably use on another point guard. Some of that probably hinges on what happens in Tuesday's lottery drawing, where the Wolves have just under a 28% chance of keeping their pick (if it lands in the top three).
The Wolves would have to conclude that Simmons can be a championship player in the right environment.
Even after his playoff woes, I could see Simmons fitting in Minnesota. Now we'll have to wait for what the offseason brings.
