It took very, very little time for the rumor mill to fire up in Philadelphia after the 76ers agreed to a deal with Doc Rivers as the franchise’s new head coach. With one of the more interesting, if also flawed, rosters in the league, the Sixers are likely set for some type of trade this summer to try to jostle a handful of high-priced pieces that struggled to fit together last season.
Because he is the hottest name in the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft, LaMelo Ball has been lumped into those rumors. The most notable of those, though coming from no credible source, is one that includes Ben Simons. The proposed trade would send Simmons to Minnesota for the No. 1 pick, pairing friends Simmons and Karl-Anthony Towns with the Timberwolves while giving Philadelphia a point guard that may fit better with Joel Embiid.
It’s a rumor that has no credibility but has swept across social media and Twitter, eventually reaching it’s way to the likes of Terrell Owens. While not known as a basketball savant, Owens was a big fan of the idea of swapping Simmons for Ball.
Great move! They need a shooter. With Lamelo, he gives them that as well as being a ball handler. https://t.co/bgh8CKDkRr
— Terrell Owens (@terrellowens) October 2, 2020
Getting into the logistics of the trade is rather pointless. A simple gander at a trade machine would show how impossible the trade would be. The Timberwolves’ lack of big contracts means the team would have to make a multi-player trade for Simmons.
It’s not the first trade Ball has been rumored in leading up to the 2020 NBA Draft. But there may not be a less realistic one.
