Jaylen Brown for Ben Simmons? It’s the trade rumor that just won’t die.
Although there’s really been no indication the Celtics are interested in flipping Brown for Simmons, the future of the 76ers point guard still hangs in the balance with the Feb. 10 NBA trade deadline looming. As such, ESPN NBA front office insider Bobby Marks on Tuesday suggested Philadelphia try to swing a blockbuster that sends Simmons to Boston while bringing Brown to the City of Brotherly Love.
Marks’ proposal, from a piece on ESPN.com: Philadelphia trades Simmons and Matisse Thybulle to Boston for Brown and Juancho Hernangomez.
“When you look at this Sixers team, great streak going on, Joel Embiid’s playing like an MVP, but can we make the argument that they’re actually going to get out of the first round if there is no Simmons deal past Feb. 10?,” Marks added on ESPN’s “NBA Today.” “I don’t think so here. So, I think to buy, you have to sell. And if it’s Ben Simmons and adding something else to get a player like Jaylen Brown, that’s the direction I’m going.”
Marks, a former NBA executive, understandably has doubts about whether the Celtics would entertain such an offer. Boston instead could look to continue building around Brown and Jayson Tatum, perhaps with an eye toward adding a third star this offseason when the C’s will have more flexibility.
But Marks loves the idea from the 76ers’ perspective. Simmons has yet to play this season after requesting a trade from Philadelphia, and Brown would be an excellent addition alongside Embiid, perhaps thrusting the Sixers into NBA Finals contention.
All told, it’s hard to imagine this deal coming to fruition. It’s certainly one of the juicier hypothetical trades floating around, though, and it’ll likely continue to be mentioned in speculation until Simmons’ fate is determined, especially with the Celtics still going through ups and downs.
