Now that the Kyrie Irving trade drama is mostly resolved, using a very similar package to what the Washington Wizards gave up for Kristaps Porzingis, there are still a few strings left uncut. Not the least of which is the major question of whether or not Ben Simmons will now be flipped.
Since the trade was finalized Sunday afternoon, fans across Twitter put together mock trades to see how their favorite teams could land either Kevin Durant or Ben Simmons. The Wizards have not been immune to this trend. However, it certainly isn’t in their best interest to trade for the former number one overall pick.
Ben Simmons may be great but comes with plenty of baggage.
Simmons has been one of the more controversial players in the league the last few years, and not for the same reasons as his past and current teammates Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant. It just seems like nobody can agree on if he’s a productive NBA player and if so, how productive.
He gets compared to everybody from Magic Johnson to the regulars at LA Fitness. Seems almost unfair for a former All-Star. However, he has earned some of this criticism.
In his last playoff appearance, he seemed to have caught a nasty case of the yips as he refused to shoot even wide-open layups against the Atlanta Hawks. If you are not aware of this term commonly used in baseball, it essentially means there is a mental block keeping a player from performing to their typical standards. It can ruin careers. The most famous example of this would be Rick Ankiel of the St Louis Cardinals who lost his ability to pitch.
Ben Simmons has not been anywhere near the level he once was since this playoff series, despite the occasional flash of greatness here and there. This is something to be expected of a younger player in the NBA, not an established vet and former All-Star like Simmons.
His health has also been a concern for a majority of his career. He missed the first year after he was drafted and has been riddled with injuries since. He is a huge risk with his huge contract.
On top of everything already listed, he is statistically a worse version of Draymond Green, a player who is constantly mocked for being a triple single. Simmons is a worse defender, worse shooter, and plays less games.
For these three reasons, the Washington Wizards should avoid even thinking about calling the Nets to inquire about Ben Simmons. While he used to be one of the best up and coming players in the league, now he’s not worth the high price.