Golden State Warriors: Ben Simmons has tanked his trade value

In the latest update of NBA drama, Ben Simmons has made it clear he will not be playing for the Philadelphia 76ers next season — stripping Philly of their leverage in negotiations. Does Simmons’ tanked trade value make him a more realistic option for the Golden State Warriors?

While Ben Simmons has tanked his own trade value with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Golden State Warriors should still balk at the price.

Simmons reportedly does not plan on joining the 76ers for training camp and does not wish to play another game for the franchise. This comes after a meltdown in the postseason which led to turmoil in the Philly locker room —  most of the blame being placed on Simmons for his lack of development since entering the league.

The market for Simmons is not particularly hot, however. Few teams have been willing to cough up their most valuable assets for the All-Star and it will not be any easier to trade him now that everyone in the NBA knows he doesn’t plan on returning the Philly, regardless.

As for the Warriors, former reports have already told us they have an interest in Simmons but do not wish to include any significant member of their young core. Yet, if his value has tanked low enough, is a straight-up swap for Andrew Wiggins on the table?

The deal makes sense financially. And, the Warriors would be getting a better player in return. In spite of this, I can not imagine why the Dubs would want to trade Wiggins for Simmons.

Sure, Simmons is an elite defender and playmaker who can run alongside the Splash Brothers. But, his incredible reluctance to develop his outside game at all is a red flag the Dubs can not ignore.

What’s more, the hissy fit that Simmons is throwing in response to (rightfully) being blamed for Philly’s postseason collapse is telling of the kind of player Simmons is. This lack of accountability and refusal to simply put in the work and prove everyone wrong is stunning.

The Warriors have a gifted 3-and-D player in Wiggins who is just finding his niche. While yes, the $30 million dollar price tag next to Wiggins’ name will never match up to his actual production on the court — he has proven to be a better asset for the Warriors than Simmons would be.