Ben Simmons has been linked to the Hawks for quite some time now, but it appears talks fell through when the 76ers attempted to include Tobias Harris in the deal. For obvious reasons, the Hawks balked at that idea. The contracts of Simmons and Harris would completely take away from all of Travis Schlenk’s freedom financially. Plus, Simmons, Harris, and Capela are far from an ideal fit.
Perhaps the 76ers come back to the table without including Harris and talks heat back up as the trade deadline approaches, but for now, we’ll just have to imagine what could have been if this blockbuster deal had been completed. According to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype, in the potential trade, the 76ers would have received John Collins, Danilo Gallinari, and Bogdan Bogdanovic in return.
Report: “The 76ers and Hawks briefly kicked around a trade of Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris for John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari.”
(via @MikeAScotto, https://t.co/4ZlY0SWyDf) pic.twitter.com/cKlm5vIq4A
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 26, 2022
Talent for talent, and contract for contract, this isn’t the worst deal in the world. However, the Hawks’ hesitation in pulling the trigger on this trade likely revolves around the fit. Simmons, Harris, and Capela can’t all be on the floor simultaneously, so one of them would turn into a very expensive bench piece. The Hawks would also be parting ways with three of their best shooters, leaving them very thin in that area.
I wouldn’t totally count out the Hawks dealing for Simmons before the trade deadline, but I would say the odds are slim. Philadelphia’s asking price remains sky-high, and I’m not sure anyone will meet it in the coming weeks.
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