2025 NBA Season

[Japinat]

Dame-Ben pairing could work for Blazers to remain a playoff contender team but I doubt they will go beyond what Dame-CJ reached so far. I also think it's a downgrade for Portland if the trade is just 1-1. Blazers has to demand one more player as CJ is a more complete player than Ben.

Exactly, that's why the trade doesn't look good for Portland, might be better to stick with Dame-CJ, let them remain healthy and make adjustments along the way.

So Ben doesn't have any teams, Cleveland will be a good fit, but it will take a lot of players from Cavs to be ship out to Sixers just to be able to get Ben, it will be another overhaul of the team.

It's really a problem for any team to acquire Ben because of his shooting, he is good on defense and grabbing the rebounds, but with current value or contract, it's hard to find a star player that could be traded for him. If the Blazers want to acquire him, then maybe they will have to trade more players to get Ben, that if the 76ers will agree.

[btc_angela]

Dame-Ben pairing could work for Blazers to remain a playoff contender team but I doubt they will go beyond what Dame-CJ reached so far. I also think it's a downgrade for Portland if the trade is just 1-1. Blazers has to demand one more player as CJ is a more complete player than Ben.

Exactly, that's why the trade doesn't look good for Portland, might be better to stick with Dame-CJ, let them remain healthy and make adjustments along the way.

So Ben doesn't have any teams, Cleveland will be a good fit, but it will take a lot of players from Cavs to be ship out to Sixers just to be able to get Ben, it will be another overhaul of the team.

It's really a problem for any team to acquire Ben because of his shooting, he is good on defense and grabbing the rebounds, but with current value or contract, it's hard to find a star player that could be traded for him. If the Blazers want to acquire him, then maybe they will have to trade more players to get Ben, that if the 76ers will agree.

And if Simmons are not traded, for sure he will sit out the rest of the season, maybe we will see a Kawhi situation all over again. He has statement that he doesn't want to play with the Sixers, however, there are no teams that can be traded for him. And probably teams are willing but at what expense? We can all call now that Ben is over rated player? Just passing skills and then no shooting?

[danherbias07]

And if Simmons are not traded, for sure he will sit out the rest of the season, maybe we will see a Kawhi situation all over again. He has statement that he doesn't want to play with the Sixers, however, there are no teams that can be traded for him. And probably teams are willing but at what expense? We can all call now that Ben is over rated player? Just passing skills and then no shooting?

That's harsh. A player's overall cannot be seen by just his offensive flaws.
He got good stats on his defense including blocks, steals, and rebounds which is difficult to find with every player. Most of this new era players just think about how good they are at outside shooting.
Perhaps there is just no room for him since he is now a high paid player at his young age. Trades were done before the issue with him and the 76ers came out.
Some teams may be willing but no salary space, others don't have the capability, lacking the right players to offer for the deal to happen.
An example is Dennis Schroder giving up the $84M deal with the Lakers looking for more at the wrong time.

[Minor Miner]

I saw a rumor today that Portland is looking into trading CJ McCollum for Ben Simmons to pair with Dame. That would be an interesting pairing in my eyes, but Dame and CJ are best friends so I’m not sure how true that is. I can’t see Dame giving the OK to Portland to ship off one of his best friends.

That's interesting pairing in the guard position, as Dame is more of a shooting guard, and Ben being the point guard. So let's see how this rumor are going to end. The ball right now is on Portland, if they are willing to get Ben and sacrifice CJ for their experiment of this pairings. Portland has always been a playoff contender, but that's it, they can't reach the finals with CJ and Lilliard combine for the past couple of years.

It never is easy to say goodbyes to your best friends like that, and in a competitive environment like that, this kind of friendship plays a vital role in terms of team chemistry. But if the rumors are true and CJ does get traded with Ben, it will be interesting to see how Dame reacts to the decision. Also, the Dame and Ben Simmons duo might also be an interesting one to see.

[wheelz1200]

Dame-Ben pairing could work for Blazers to remain a playoff contender team but I doubt they will go beyond what Dame-CJ reached so far. I also think it's a downgrade for Portland if the trade is just 1-1. Blazers has to demand one more player as CJ is a more complete player than Ben.

I don't think Portland would get more than Ben Simmons.  They are different players but cj isn't a level above Ben at this point.  It would give Portland a different dynamic.  Don't know if it would work but they have to try something.  Personally it would be blow it up or nothing.  Blow it up hope to land a couple young stars in the next couple drafts with high draft picks.  The way the team is constructed they won't ever be more than 3-4 at best  in the west.

[Swordsoffreedom]

Dame-Ben pairing could work for Blazers to remain a playoff contender team but I doubt they will go beyond what Dame-CJ reached so far. I also think it's a downgrade for Portland if the trade is just 1-1. Blazers has to demand one more player as CJ is a more complete player than Ben.

I don't think Portland would get more than Ben Simmons.  They are different players but cj isn't a level above Ben at this point.  It would give Portland a different dynamic.  Don't know if it would work but they have to try something.  Personally it would be blow it up or nothing.  Blow it up hope to land a couple young stars in the next couple drafts with high draft picks.  The way the team is constructed they won't ever be more than 3-4 at best  in the west.

I think Portland Trail Blazers should trade CJ for Simmons. Because fit is very important for the team. And I think Ben Simmons is a better fit with Damian Lillard than CJ McCollum. After last year’s embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, even Dame said in the off-season show he was serious about leaving the Blazers if they didn’t get things together. If they can get Ben the skill redundancy when McCollum and Lillard are on the court at the same time will also be reduced.

[Maidak]

Dame-Ben pairing could be a solid one but again, team chemistry is key and the chemistry between Dame and CJ is really good. Also, there lies a doubt that whether the new player and the current players will have the chemistry that CJ and the team had. But yes, CJ is actually a more versatile player compared to Ben so asking for another player in the trade could be a fair deal.

[dwyane36]

That's harsh. A player's overall cannot be seen by just his offensive flaws.
He got good stats on his defense including blocks, steals, and rebounds which is difficult to find with every player. Most of this new era players just think about how good they are at outside shooting.

Yeah, he definitely has defensive skills, but it is not enough. I mean, it's not normal that a player with a salary of more than $30 mln per season can't shoot, and he didn't even try to improve it.

And if Simmons are not traded, for sure he will sit out the rest of the season

I guess Simmons probably won't return to the 76ers even if they can't trade him before the start of the season.

[Pamadar]

And if Simmons are not traded, for sure he will sit out the rest of the season, maybe we will see a Kawhi situation all over again. He has statement that he doesn't want to play with the Sixers, however, there are no teams that can be traded for him. And probably teams are willing but at what expense? We can all call now that Ben is over rated player? Just passing skills and then no shooting?

Better to adjust to what you are asking for the value of Ben instead of sitting him for the entire season,

Letting him go and get what other teams have to offer, the value of Ben for this upcoming season may help Sixers to regroup once they already send him out, else, they are willing to let him watch the game for the entire season or wait for any available stars that will ask to be transferred. For now, there's no development as Pres. Morey is not lowering his demands for Simmons.

[Yogee]

That's harsh. A player's overall cannot be seen by just his offensive flaws.
He got good stats on his defense including blocks, steals, and rebounds which is difficult to find with every player. Most of this new era players just think about how good they are at outside shooting.

Yeah, he definitely has defensive skills, but it is not enough. I mean, it's not normal that a player with a salary of more than $30 mln per season can't shoot, and he didn't even try to improve it.

Sixers made a mistake with that deal hehe.

I agree that defensive skills shouldn't be used as an excuse. Perhaps he's good at it because that's where he focus more of his energy. He probably won't have enough stamina if he's also more aggressive on offense.

Anyone would probably agree that the game has evolved and the rules have changed to favor offense or allow more high scoring games so his defensive stats are overshadowed by his offensive flaws.

[Minecache]

The question is who will Cavaliers give for Simmons. They don't have that good players IIRC. Maybe Sexton might do plus a bunch of average players for Simmons or add another bench player.
Ben will not go back in Philly. Simmons don't like them and the fans and the management doesn't want him either. Now I'm thinking on how he will play when he is playing into another team already and they are in Philly. The fans might "boo" him and add some words that can hurt his morale and reputation.

Good question. It was supposed to be a big free space if Love took the buyout. Now they will think of a way on who will need to be freed in exchange for a better roster. But instead of more space they added another player although it's a bit cheap for a 2 year contract.
Cleveland Cavaliers sign Euro vet Kevin Pangos to 2-year, $3.5 million deal
They are preparing if ever they can't equal the deal the 76ers will make about the Simmons trade. They badly need playmakers in that team and I think they should prioritize how they can get their hands on Ben first before they add more that would make him shine.
Rubio, Sexton, Garland, and Ben. That should be enough guards with a mixed young and veteran core.

Signing Pangos is actually really good for the team. Because Pangos, through time, has developed into one of the top point guards in Europe. And he is a lot more experienced now. Last six seasons for him were really great. He's played for top clubs in Spain, Lithuania and Russia during that time. If he continues in this way, it's just a matter of time before he gets his contract extended in my opinion.

[OgNasty]

That's harsh. A player's overall cannot be seen by just his offensive flaws.
He got good stats on his defense including blocks, steals, and rebounds which is difficult to find with every player. Most of this new era players just think about how good they are at outside shooting.

Yeah, he definitely has defensive skills, but it is not enough. I mean, it's not normal that a player with a salary of more than $30 mln per season can't shoot, and he didn't even try to improve it.

Sixers made a mistake with that deal hehe.

I agree that defensive skills shouldn't be used as an excuse. Perhaps he's good at it because that's where he focus more of his energy. He probably won't have enough stamina if he's also more aggressive on offense.

Anyone would probably agree that the game has evolved and the rules have changed to favor offense or allow more high scoring games so his defensive stats are overshadowed by his offensive flaws.

His shooting liability aside, nobody in the league can handle the ball as well as Simmons at his size. He’s basically a center that plays point guard. Teams have been exploiting his one major flaw and I think his unwillingness to shoot is more a mental thing that is allowing teams to cheat on defense knowing he won’t shoot. If he even develops a little confidence in his shot and get his % up to at least above 25% from the arc and he’ll be dangerous.

[SirLancelot]

It is sad that Portland failed so much to build a good roster, and have been one of the unluckiest teams about injuries as well, leaving Greg Oden pick, and Brandon Roy, and LMA leaving, they really never had a proper team built together for outside of their control as well. And that is just one part of it, think about all the times they didn't draft right, or traded badly and all that as well. With a player like Dame and a sidekick like CJ, they could had one more star level player at least all-star level player and they could have been a lot better in the past.

The only thing I am quite sad about is the fact that because of Portlands mismanagement, Dame will end his career as a nobody in playoffs and that is the worst part. Dude definitely deserved to be like at least a finals level player but both west being so strong and portland never having a good position resulted with him having unlucky playoff career.

[Japinat]

Dame-Ben pairing could work for Blazers to remain a playoff contender team but I doubt they will go beyond what Dame-CJ reached so far. I also think it's a downgrade for Portland if the trade is just 1-1. Blazers has to demand one more player as CJ is a more complete player than Ben.

Exactly, that's why the trade doesn't look good for Portland, might be better to stick with Dame-CJ, let them remain healthy and make adjustments along the way.

So Ben doesn't have any teams, Cleveland will be a good fit, but it will take a lot of players from Cavs to be ship out to Sixers just to be able to get Ben, it will be another overhaul of the team.

It's really a problem for any team to acquire Ben because of his shooting, he is good on defense and grabbing the rebounds, but with current value or contract, it's hard to find a star player that could be traded for him. If the Blazers want to acquire him, then maybe they will have to trade more players to get Ben, that if the 76ers will agree.

And if Simmons are not traded, for sure he will sit out the rest of the season, maybe we will see a Kawhi situation all over again. He has statement that he doesn't want to play with the Sixers, however, there are no teams that can be traded for him. And probably teams are willing but at what expense?

It's not the loss of Ben if he will sit for the whole season because he will still get paid according to his contract, but I'm sure the Sixers can't afford to do that so they will find a way to trade Ben Simmons before the trade deadline.

We can all call now that Ben is over rated player? Just passing skills and then no shooting?

He is not IMO, why would we only criticize him now when he was already playing for many seasons, and in his first season, we were impressed by his performance and thought he would be the next big start in the NBA.

[Questat]

We can all call now that Ben is over rated player? Just passing skills and then no shooting?

He is not IMO, why would we only criticize him now when he was already playing for many seasons, and in his first season, we were impressed by his performance and thought he would be the next big start in the NBA.

With his stats, a lot of teams will be interested to get him, but if the 76ers will not reduce its value in a trade, no trade will happen as no player will give up their best player for Ben Simmons who is not a complete player yet. The pressure is on the 76ers because if they will just sit him, Simmons will become a dead investment on their part, not a wise way to manage the business whom they invested millions of dollars.

[wheelz1200]

That's harsh. A player's overall cannot be seen by just his offensive flaws.
He got good stats on his defense including blocks, steals, and rebounds which is difficult to find with every player. Most of this new era players just think about how good they are at outside shooting.

Yeah, he definitely has defensive skills, but it is not enough. I mean, it's not normal that a player with a salary of more than $30 mln per season can't shoot, and he didn't even try to improve it.

And if Simmons are not traded, for sure he will sit out the rest of the season

I guess Simmons probably won't return to the 76ers even if they can't trade him before the start of the season.

If they don't trade him he will be there day 1.  He is owed $33 million next year you don't think he would walk away from that and ruin his nba career do you.  It is a business and he isn't going to leave that on the table.  Honestly I don't even see the sixers moving him.  Tes will low ball them and no way you take a low ball offer on the kid.  He is still way young and is one of the best point guards in the league.

[Russlenat]

That's harsh. A player's overall cannot be seen by just his offensive flaws.
He got good stats on his defense including blocks, steals, and rebounds which is difficult to find with every player. Most of this new era players just think about how good they are at outside shooting.

Yeah, he definitely has defensive skills, but it is not enough. I mean, it's not normal that a player with a salary of more than $30 mln per season can't shoot, and he didn't even try to improve it.

And if Simmons are not traded, for sure he will sit out the rest of the season

I guess Simmons probably won't return to the 76ers even if they can't trade him before the start of the season.

If they don't trade him he will be there day 1.  He is owed $33 million next year you don't think he would walk away from that and ruin his nba career do you.  It is a business and he isn't going to leave that on the table.  Honestly I don't even see the sixers moving him.  Tes will low ball them and no way you take a low ball offer on the kid.  He is still way young and is one of the best point guards in the league.

If he was really the problem for the 76ers on why they did not succeed last season, then the 76ers will have no choice but to trade him, however, since other teams see that he was traded because he is a problem on offense, they will use that so 76ers will lower their demand on the trade, and I think they were successful as until now Ben Simmons is still with the roster.

[Hypnosis00]

That's harsh. A player's overall cannot be seen by just his offensive flaws.
He got good stats on his defense including blocks, steals, and rebounds which is difficult to find with every player. Most of this new era players just think about how good they are at outside shooting.

Yeah, he definitely has defensive skills, but it is not enough. I mean, it's not normal that a player with a salary of more than $30 mln per season can't shoot, and he didn't even try to improve it.

And if Simmons are not traded, for sure he will sit out the rest of the season

I guess Simmons probably won't return to the 76ers even if they can't trade him before the start of the season.

If they don't trade him he will be there day 1.  He is owed $33 million next year you don't think he would walk away from that and ruin his nba career do you.  It is a business and he isn't going to leave that on the table.  Honestly I don't even see the sixers moving him.  Tes will low ball them and no way you take a low ball offer on the kid.  He is still way young and is one of the best point guards in the league.

If he was really the problem for the 76ers on why they did not succeed last season, then the 76ers will have no choice but to trade him, however, since other teams see that he was traded because he is a problem on offense, they will use that so 76ers will lower their demand on the trade, and I think they were successful as until now Ben Simmons is still with the roster.

It's just pity for the 76ers that no one will get interested on Simmons on the kind of trade they ask. They should have protected his reputation as he only messed up once in the playoffs, and hawks are responsible for exposing him. I don't know how Simmons would feel if he still practice with the team thinking that the management does not want him anymore and wants to trade him.

[wheelz1200]

That's harsh. A player's overall cannot be seen by just his offensive flaws.
He got good stats on his defense including blocks, steals, and rebounds which is difficult to find with every player. Most of this new era players just think about how good they are at outside shooting.

Yeah, he definitely has defensive skills, but it is not enough. I mean, it's not normal that a player with a salary of more than $30 mln per season can't shoot, and he didn't even try to improve it.

And if Simmons are not traded, for sure he will sit out the rest of the season

I guess Simmons probably won't return to the 76ers even if they can't trade him before the start of the season.

If they don't trade him he will be there day 1.  He is owed $33 million next year you don't think he would walk away from that and ruin his nba career do you.  It is a business and he isn't going to leave that on the table.  Honestly I don't even see the sixers moving him.  Tes will low ball them and no way you take a low ball offer on the kid.  He is still way young and is one of the best point guards in the league.

If he was really the problem for the 76ers on why they did not succeed last season, then the 76ers will have no choice but to trade him, however, since other teams see that he was traded because he is a problem on offense, they will use that so 76ers will lower their demand on the trade, and I think they were successful as until now Ben Simmons is still with the roster.

Again it's a business if they don't get good value for him they won't move him.  They aren't just going to let him go for nothing.  He is a REALLY good young player.  You don't just lose those pieces.  I would love for him to be on the knicks but not at the expense of a bunch of future picks.  My guess is signs will be the starting point guard for the sixers next year.

[Ziskinberg]

That's harsh. A player's overall cannot be seen by just his offensive flaws.
He got good stats on his defense including blocks, steals, and rebounds which is difficult to find with every player. Most of this new era players just think about how good they are at outside shooting.

Yeah, he definitely has defensive skills, but it is not enough. I mean, it's not normal that a player with a salary of more than $30 mln per season can't shoot, and he didn't even try to improve it.

And if Simmons are not traded, for sure he will sit out the rest of the season

I guess Simmons probably won't return to the 76ers even if they can't trade him before the start of the season.

If they don't trade him he will be there day 1.  He is owed $33 million next year you don't think he would walk away from that and ruin his nba career do you.  It is a business and he isn't going to leave that on the table.  Honestly I don't even see the sixers moving him.  Tes will low ball them and no way you take a low ball offer on the kid.  He is still way young and is one of the best point guards in the league.

If he was really the problem for the 76ers on why they did not succeed last season, then the 76ers will have no choice but to trade him, however, since other teams see that he was traded because he is a problem on offense, they will use that so 76ers will lower their demand on the trade, and I think they were successful as until now Ben Simmons is still with the roster.

Again it's a business if they don't get good value for him they won't move him.  They aren't just going to let him go for nothing.  He is a REALLY good young player.  You don't just lose those pieces.  I would love for him to be on the knicks but not at the expense of a bunch of future picks.  My guess is signs will be the starting point guard for the sixers next year.

IMO, if I'm the team owner, I would rather move him for a lesser value than seeing him struggle in a team because he doesn't want to play anymore, I mean his heart is not anymore in the team, so there's no way the team will succeed, and despite his talent, he could only become a liability of the team as he will not be as motivated as he was before.