The Philadelphia 76ers are unsurprisingly getting a lot of heat following their heartbreaking exit in the NBA playoffs. But if one is to gauge that painful game 7 loss they suffered at the hands of the Toronto Raptors, it was a game that could have gone either way.
Regardless, the Sixers are moving forward. Brett Brown will return to coach the team next season and Philly is expected to check out the available talent in the free agent market. There is also a chance that trades may be happening and one crazy suggestion comes from Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports.
Ben Simmons has been singled out as a possible candidate for trade and some teams are likely to be interested. But could that mix include the Los Angeles Lakers? It wasn't too long ago that Simmons and Magic Johnson were caught in a bit of controversy with the Los Angeles being accused of tampering. That row has been settled because Simmons was simply asking for help to improve his game, NBA.com said.
But if one's devious mind is put to work, it cannot be denied that Simmons possibly headed to the Lakers is possible. The only problem is for who? Haberstroh feels that a LeBron James could be explored by the Sixers.
He pointed out the fact that James does not have a no-trade clause. Aside from that, news outlets suggest that the Lakers may want to trade James to clear the road for the embattled Lakers. Although Frank Vogel has been named the team's new head coach, how he is able to co-exist with James is a big question mark. If the Lakers continue to sputter, Vogel could be the next guy in the hot seat.
As for Simmons, the fact that he is unable to hit it from the outside is singled out as the reason why the Sixers may need to trade him. The Australian basketball cager has been in the league for NBA for almost two years now and no semblance of a shooting stroke has been seen. But would this be enough to trade off someone many believe could follow in the footsteps of the King?
The thought of a trade involving James and Simmons may be unimaginable for hoop critics. Instead of James, seeing Simmons move to the Lakers for someone else is more plausible. But then again, what would the Lakers gain by adding another player who loves to drive to the basket when they actually need someone who can hit it from the outside. Vogel has a long season ahead of him as he tries to turn things around for the troubled Lakers quintet.
