The top-seeded Philadelphia Sixers' season came to a screeching halt with their Game 7 defeat at the hands of Trae Young and the upstart Atlanta Hawks.
All-Star Ben Simmons had a now almost infamous stat line of 5 points, 8 rebounds and 13 assists in 36 minutes of action. But it wasn't just Simmons' Game 7 performance that raised eyebrows.
Throughout Philadelphia's series with the Hawks, Simmons disappeared during key stretches, most notably in the fourth quarter.
Ben Simmons in the 4th 👻 pic.twitter.com/SVsumYK93c
— The Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) June 21, 2021
But despite Simmons' woeful 2021 postseason performance, he still holds significant value around the league. Simmons is an All-Star, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, and a player who made the 2019-20 All-NBA Third Team.
Whether you fall into the camp of thinking Simmons is overrated or underrated, it is clearly reflected in DraftKings' latest odds — Simmons is only a -125 favorite to stay with the Sixers — that there is not a strong feeling that Daryl Morey and Philadelphia will keep him on the roster.
Any team interested in adding Ben Simmons needs to have a player that clearly helps Joel Embiid and the Sixers' NBA Championship aspirations.
This leaves the door open for both title-contending teams like the Jazz and Lakers or rebuilding teams like the Thunder or Raptors to vie for Simmons' services.
Outside of Philadelphia being only a slight favorite to retain Simmons, the most notable thing here is the Washington Wizards being +200 to trade for Simmons.
Washington and Portland were the favorites to acquire Simmons via PointsBet, but PointsBet has Portland as +250 favorites and Washington at +300.
The fact that DraftKings has the Wizards ahead of Portland as favorites (outside of Philadelphia) to acquire Simmons is worth nothing if you feel strongly about his next team.
Both Portland and Washington will continue to populate the top of these "next team Ben Simmons will play for" lists, as the Trail Blazers' CJ McCollum ($30.8 million) and the Wizards' Bradley Beal ($34.5 million) are both elite shooting guards who have contracts that match up well for potential Ben Simmons trades.
Beal and McCollum are capable of providing Philadelphia the perimeter scoring punch they need to get over the hump. And Simmons, while not a perfect fit, would provide a much-needed defensive presence to both clubs.
Odds to be Ben Simmons' Next Team
Odds via DraftKings.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Philadelphia 76ers | -125 |
| Washington Wizards | +200 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | +300 |
| Los Angeles (L) | +1000 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | +1000 |
| Golden State Warriors | +2000 |
| Utah Jazz | +2000 |
| Indiana Pacers | +2000 |
| Toronto Raptors | +2500 |
