Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons recently had a new suitor on the trade market – the Boston Celtics. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Celtics have engaged in trade conversation with the Sixers and expressed interest in acquiring Simmons. As of now, Charania revealed that talks between the Celtics and the Sixers have been "fluid."
However, if the Celtics are serious about acquiring the former No. 1 pick before the 2022 NBA trade deadline, Charania said that they should be ready to give up Jaylen Brown.
Boston Celtics
In his latest piece, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe also gave an update on the rumors linking Simmons to the Celtics. Though the trade negotiation between the two teams is yet to reach a serious level, a league source who spoke to Washburn revealed that Simmons is interested in reuniting and playing for Coach Ime Udoka in Boston.
"Can Udoka, who coached Simmons in Philadelphia as an assistant, get the best out of the former No. 1 overall pick? Yes. Would Simmons be interested in coming to Boston? Yes, according to a league source," Washburn wrote, as quoted by Barstool Sports.
Simmons' Celtics Interest
Some people are definitely wondering why Simmons would be interested in playing for the Celtics. A trade to Boston may get Simmons out of the shadow of Joel Embiid but with the emergence of Jayson Tatum on the Celtics, he would also need to accept the role as the team’s No. 2 guy. However, like the Sixers, the Celtics would also give Simmons a realistic chance of contending for his first NBA championship title this season.
Also, starting a new journey with Udoka in Boston could help Simmons regain confidence and return to the right path to becoming a legitimate superstar in the league.
On-Court Impact For Celitcs
Simmons would be an intriguing acquisition for the Celtics. Despite his shooting woes, he would still provide a huge impact on both ends of the floor. He would give the Celtics a very reliable scoring option behind Tatum, as well as a great rebounder, playmaker, and lockdown defender.
Last season, Simmons averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting 55.7 percent from the field, per ESPN. The potential arrival of Simmons is expected to address the Celtics’ lack of passing in late games which is being blamed for their struggle to consistently win games this season.
Unlikely Trade
Unfortunately, though Simmons and the Celtics have a mutual interest in working together in the 2021-22 NBA season, Washburn revealed that Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens is highly unlikely to consider trading Brown for the Sixers’ disgruntled star. Brown is considered the Celtics’ second-best player and as of now, he’s clearly a better All-Star than Simmons.
"Simmons should only be a consideration at the right price, and that price likely will never be to Stevens’ satisfaction as long as Morey is willing to wait months — or even years — to make a deal and he continues to request All-Star players in return for someone whose stock is at an all-time low," Washburn wrote.
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