Ever since Kevin Durant left the Bay for the Brooklyn Nets, Warriors fans have dreamed of the next big fish they could pair with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
While most of that talk centers around Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo (which won’t happen), the Warriors have undoubtedly drawn their attention to the dysfunction of the Philadelphia 76ers, hoping that they choose to break up duo Ben Simmons-Joel Embiid. The 76ers fired coach Brett Brown on Monday, but CEO Elton Brand said on Tuesday he has no plans to trade any of his stars.
In a column on Tuesday, The Athletic’s John Hollinger and Anthony Slater discussed the potential of the Warriors, who hold the rights to the No. 2 in the draft, trading for Simmons or Embiid. Hollinger believes the 76ers will keep the pat and try to fix the duo with a new manager. He noted that the Warriors ‘draft assets, which include the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 2021 first-round pick, may not intrigue a team of 76ers looking to return to rebuild mode.
Hollinger floated a hypothetical exchange that could work if the 76ers decide the Simmons-Embiid tandem is not a viable long-term partnership. Hollinger suggests a trade where the Warriors send Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, Jordan Poole and then enlist a player the 76ers want at number 2 in exchange for Simmons and Al Horford. In this scenario, the 76ers would tell the Warriors which player to draft at number 2 and then the teams would wait a month to finalize the trade.
NBA, the Warriors would take on Horford, who had an abysmal first season in Philadelphia and wasn't a fit next to Embiid, in order to have each team taking on an unfavorable contract." data-reactid="25">As Hollinger notes, since Wiggins’ contract is currently viewed negatively around the NBA, the Warriors would face Horford, who had an abysmal first season in Philadelphia and disagreed with Embiid, so that each team would face an unfavorable contract.
But the Horford acquisition shouldn’t scare Warriors fans. Yes, Horford still has three years and $ 81 million left on his contract and appeared to have fallen off a precipice last season at the age of 34. But the 76ers didn’t use Horford ideally. By placing him next to Embiid and with no pure shooters around him, Horford’s playing prowess was denied. He is still a seasoned veteran who is a good passer, a solid defender and can take down jump shots. Putting Horford on the Warriors front line with Green and Simmons, who would serve as a winger who can both initiate offense and play off the ball as a cutting threat, could be an intriguing option for the Warriors.
Wiggins has already received rave reviews from manager Steve Kerr and the Warriors are thrilled to see 2014’s # 1 game of choice alongside Curry, Thompson and Green. So while it’s easy to link Wiggins as a trading piece during this long offseason, it seems the Warriors, for now, want to see those four work together before they get rid of Wiggins.
The 76ers have to chart a course forward and most assume it will include the split of Embiid and Simmons at one point or another. That time will likely be the next offseason after the new manager has had a year to see if he can make the pairing work.
But if the 76ers decide to blow the pair up this offseason, expect the Warriors to be one of the first teams to call and try to reach a deal. Simmons landing would give the Warriors another playmaker who can push the pace on offense and defend at a high level.
Despite his warts, Simmons is worth the price it will take to acquire him and bringing Horford would not be the worst as he could find new life in the Warrior system alongside Curry, Thompson, Green and Simmons.
There will be a lot more hypothetical trade this offseason, but as the Warriors ponder what to do with their No. 2, this is an option that would be worth exploring if the 76ers decide to shake things up.
