Golden State Warriors no longer in Ben Simmons sweepstakes
There’s no denying the Golden State Warriors should want to find a way to improve their star-studded roster. However, the long-standing debate in Dub Nation right now is how best to accomplish that.
There have been rumors that have surfaced relating to a long list of players. Ben Simmons, Damian Lillard, Pascal Siakam, Bradley Beal and several others are just the ones that have been reported.
The Golden State Warriors were once thought of as a perfect fit for Ben Simmons; however, it seems the Sixers asking price just wasn’t obtainable.
As it comes to Simmons, it seems like the talks between the Sixers and Warriors have stalled. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Connor Letourneau broke the news that the Warriors were no longer in talks for Simmons.
"“Simmons, the only All-Star known to be shopped by his tea, is also unlikely to land with the Warriors. The 76ers are asking for a massive haul that includes an All-Star-level player. Per a league source, Golden State wouldn’t be willing to give up what it would take to get Simmons,” Letourneau reported."
While some claimed that Golden State would be a great fit, it really never made much sense for them to trade for Simmons. That’s not to say that Simmons isn’t better than he showed this past postseason.
Simmons should be able to improve his shot and hopefully will be a viable offensive option for Philadelphia. After seeing him struggle with his confidence and shot selection, many thought the price would’ve been low for the star.
Well, it wasn’t, and the Sixers wanted an All-Star caliber player in return. That type of player in terms of the Warriors roster would’ve likely been Klay Thompson or Draymond Green. Neither was ever going to happen.
Given Simmons’ inability to shoot from deep, the spacing that would’ve been forced onto the Warriors offense with both Simmons and Green on the court, both of which often times passed up wide-open threes, would not have worked well for the team’s two stars, Thompson and Stephen Curry.
Nonetheless, while the report should’ve been noted, it doesn’t feel like either side made a ton of sense as a trade partner for the other.
The Warriors should focus more on adding a Bradley Beal or Damian Lillard-like talent. For the Sixers, they either need to re-gauge their value on Simmons or be okay with not getting that developed high-level player.