The Ben Simmons saga drags on as the NBA season is in full force.
The Philadelphia 76ers are fining the guard as he remains away from the team to focus on his mental health.
This has not derailed the team at all, however, as the 76ers are 8-3 and atop the Eastern Conference.
Trading Simmons out of Philly is likely the best outcome for both sides.
And it turns out he might have a serious suitor in the Boston Celtics, according to NBA insider Shams Charania.
The Celtics are interested in trading for Ben Simmons, per @ShamsCharania
Any deal for Simmons would have to include Jaylen Brown pic.twitter.com/lA7uBSdVoJ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 8, 2021
The catch is that the Celtics would need to give up Jaylen Brown in such a deal.
Is It Worth It For Boston?
The Celtics are off to a 4-6 start this season and Brown, the team’s leading scorer, is now set to miss time with a hamstring injury.
A question for the Celtics organization to answer is whether they believe Brown and Jayson Tatum can make this team a perennial title contender.
Both are under contract for several years and the plan was to have the homegrown players form a dominant core together.
But this season began with veteran Marcus Smart calling out the duo for not passing the ball.
Add in the losing record through 10 games and it would be easy to panic.
Yet another factor to consider is Simmons’ fit on this team.
Of course the 76ers would like to swap Simmons, who is not even playing, for a star like Brown.
ESPN Sources: After initial reluctance, Sixers All-Star Ben Simmons has met with a team-recommended specialist to discuss mental health concerns. Among other issues, the organization had recently reinstituted fines for Simmons’ failure to agree to those meetings.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 8, 2021
Boston would need to figure out if Simmons really is ready to get back on the court.
Let’s also not forget the fact he seemingly forgot how to shoot the ball last year.
The Celtics may want to give this more time because it doesn’t seem like the 76ers are going to be able to unload Simmons soon unless an offer is too good to pass up.
That reality is tough to imagine given his status away from the court.
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