NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Ben Simmons, Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert

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At some point—hopefully sooner rather than later—the Philadelphia 76ers will presumably grant Ben Simmons’ wish for a trade.

Until that happens, though, the rumor mill will continue to revolve around the 25-year-old All-Star.

Which teams are in the Simmons’ sweepstakes, and what might the Sixers receive in return for their floor general? The latest rumor roundup will answer those questions and more.

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Because Simmons plays a unique style—brilliant defense, expert playmaking, not shooting whatsoever—it hasn’t always been easy to tell which teams might have interest.

But the Minnesota Timberwolves have been among the clubs most commonly linked to him. And the interest apparently starts at the top.

“I do know ownership is very bullish on Ben Simmons,” Jon Krawczynski said on The Athletic NBA Show (h/t RealGM). “They are very intrigued by the idea of adding him [with Karl-Anthony] Towns, [Anthony] Edwards…”

The interest seems sincere, but do the Wolves have enough to win a bidding war? They aren’t giving up Towns or Edwards in the exchange, and they hope to keep D’Angelo Russell out of it too. It’s hard to see the Sixers signing off on a swap without at least Russell as the centerpiece and several sweeteners attached.

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As soon as the Sixers began entertaining offers for Simmons this summer, they set the trade cost at “an All-Star-caliber player.”

They might think Caris LeVert qualifies as such, since Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported of their interest in the scoring swingman.

LeVert would be an interesting co-star for Joel Embiid. He is a smooth shot-creator who set several career highs last season, including 20.2 points and 5.2 assists per game. His shooting could be more consistent (career 33.6 percent from three), but he can create scoring chances out of isolations, and he would work two-man magic with Embiid on pick-and-rolls.

The issue is LeVert is almost always dealing with some kind of injury. Even right now, he’s recovering from a stress fracture in his back. He has only once played more than 60 games and hasn’t cracked 50 in any of the past three seasons. The Sixers could have tons of nervous moments with their roster in the hands of Embiid and LeVert, which is why the latter probably can’t anchor a Simmons swap on his own.

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Indiana’s interest in Simmons is intriguing.

In many ways, it makes sense. The Pacers, who missed the playoffs last season and were knocked out of the first round in each of the previous five seasons, have no obvious ways to otherwise climb the Eastern Conference ladder. They have also never been a free-agent destination, so the chance to add an established star in his prime almost never comes around.

Then again, point guard isn’t an obvious area of need for Indiana. Malcolm Brogdon, one of just 15 players to average 20 points, five assists and five rebounds last season, seems more than capable in the starting spot.

However, Pompey reported the Pacers are “open to moving” Brogdon, which they probably have to be to have interest in Simmons. While some clubs can entertain the idea of moving him to the frontcourt, those spots are already taken in Indiana by Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner.

The Pacers, it seems, want Simmons to pilot their offense. Brogdon could become a necessary sacrifice to clear a spot for Simmons.