In just a few years, Ben Simmons has gone from someone considered to have borderline-superstar potential to someone who some consider to be damaged goods.
He was the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and although he made three straight All-Star teams, his stock started to drop dramatically after demanding a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers in 2021.
His current team, the Brooklyn Nets, could possibly trade him this summer, and according to Jake Fischer, the Charlotte Hornets discussed giving up Miles Bridges for him a few months ago, per NBACentral.
The Charlotte Hornets discussed a Miles Bridges for Ben Simmons trade, per @JakeLFischer
“Charlotte, sources said, held conversations with Brooklyn about swapping Bridges in a package that would have brought Ben Simmons to the Hornets in February. Sacramento was another team… pic.twitter.com/ydsng6lz95
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 21, 2024
Fischer also said the Sacramento Kings were interested in him prior to the midseason trade deadline.
Simmons came into the NBA being compared to LeBron James and Magic Johnson because of his size (he’s 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds) and his ability to attack in the open court, hit the open man, and defend at a high level.
However, he has never developed as a scorer, and his scoring average plunged from 16.9 points a game in the 2018-19 season to 6.9 points per game last season.
He still lacks the ability or willingness to shoot the basketball from outside of the paint, let alone make such shots, and some feel he is very mentally weak.
Simmons has also become injury-prone — he has dealt with back problems the last three seasons and has appeared in just 57 games during that span.
Still, he could be an effective and useful player in the right situation if he is paired with capable stars and an environment conducive to his growth.
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Nets Are Reportedly Not Showing Interest In Trading Key Player
