Three realistic trade options for Philadelphia 76ers' Ben Simmons: Hint, there are no top-25 players

After Friday's news that the Philadelphia 76ers are becoming more engaged on multiple fronts in talks centered on trading Ben Simmons, Bobby Marks and Kevin Pelton discuss the options available for the Sixers and their All-Star guard.

Marks: Kevin, the Simmons trade chatter has been quiet until recently, when ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe reported that the 76ers have become aggressive in trying to assemble two- and three-team deals to land a top-25 player.

The momentum in trade talks is reflective of 84% of NBA players becoming trade-eligible starting on Wednesday, the first day most free agents who signed a contract this offseason can be traded. Philadelphia is still drawing a line in the sand when it comes to trying to acquire an All-NBA type player. How realistic is that?

Pelton: Given that the report also states the Sixers have been told All-NBA guard Damian Lillard is off-limits in conversations with the Portland Trail Blazers and interim general manager Joe Cronin, I don't see who that player is.

If we look at ESPN's NBArank top 25 entering this season, the only player plausibly available is Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, and Brooklyn and Philadelphia have had time to engage in discussions about that swap with nothing coming of it. As ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported in October, the timetable of Simmons' return to the 76ers was consistent with the NBA's health & safety protocols for players who are not fully vaccinated, which would complicate the possibility of Simmons playing in Brooklyn because of New York City's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Marks: When was the last time a team traded a top-25 player and got the same caliber player in return? It never happens. Outside of an unlikely Irving-for-Simmons swap, I don't see an All-NBA-type player in play right now.

Pelton: Philadelphia has to choose between waiting for something to change with Lillard's situation in Portland -- with the extension he can sign next summer a possible pivot point -- or making a move for a lesser player now to maximize its chances of advancing in the playoffs this season.

A little lower on the NBArank list, there are some All-Star talents who could be more realistic targets for Philadelphia.

Forward Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans came in just outside the top 25 at No. 26. Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum was No. 30. And two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis of the Indiana Pacers ranked 40th.

Let's look at pathways to the Sixers making a trade involving one of those three players.

Simmons and Ingram have been tied since they were the top two picks in the 2016 draft. How might negotiations between Philly and New Orleans go?

Marks: When it comes to New Orleans, does the Zion Williamson rehab setback make you pause to taking an aggressive approach with Simmons? If not, assuming a healthy Williamson eventually returns would a Simmons and Williamson pairing work? From a financial perspective, the salaries are close to a wash with Simmons earning $1.4 million more than Ingram. If I were the Pelicans, I would not add draft compensation or additional players to the deal.

Pelton: New Orleans had success last season putting the ball in Zion's hands as a point forward, something that becomes more challenging with Simmons on the court. Perhaps both players could stay involved screening for each other in the pick-and-roll game, but it would take some work.

From Philadelphia's standpoint, Ingram might be one of the best talents available, but his skill set duplicates a lot of the value Tobias Harris provides operating 1-on-1 from the wing. Amusingly, both are among the 20-most similar players to each other this season, according to my SCHOENE projection system. Although having such similar players isn't a bad thing, the 76ers would probably prefer a bit more of a complementary piece.

Both teams would probably feel they deserve additional value for their side of the trade.

How about Sabonis?

Marks: I am a big fan of Sabonis from a financial perspective. For starters, he is on one of the more team-friendly contracts this season. Sabonis' $18.5 million salary-cap hit this season (he has a $1.3 million All-Star bonus also) ranks 56th among all players, and is $10 million less than a max player. He is under contract for three seasons and will not become a free agent until 2024.

My concern is from a spacing standpoint with a Harris, Sabonis and Joel Embiid frontcourt in Philadelphia. Per NBA.com, 210 (63% of his attempts) out of Sabonis' 332 field goals have been attempted less than 5 feet from the basket. Of course, 76ers coach Doc Rivers can stagger Sabonis' minutes and have him anchor the second unit when Embiid is out of the game.

Pelton: The theory is like when Philadelphia signed Al Horford, right? Play together with Embiid on the first unit and then back him up. Despite the fact Horford is a better floor spacer than Sabonis, the fit didn't work offensively. The 76ers would have to believe that Simmons' non-shooting was the fundamental issue with that pairing to attempt something similar -- especially because Sabonis doesn't offer the same defensive versatility as Horford. Anything Philly gets from Sabonis would be more than they've gotten from Simmons so far this season. And as you mention, his contract gives the Sixers a chance to get multiple players in return.

Who else would make sense, or, is there a larger deal involving a third team?

Marks: There are two schools of thought when it comes to Sabonis. Philadelphia can keep him but then expand the deal to include a third team. Because a Sabonis-for-Simmons trade does not work straight up, the 76ers would have to take back more salary in a trade. For example, the Pacers can redirect guard Caris LeVert to a team such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the 76ers would get back Collin Sexton and Cedi Osman. A package of Sabonis, Sexton and Osman is probably as good of a deal that they can get for Simmons. It would give them a legit All-Star in Sabonis, additional shooting off the bench in Osman and a borderline All-Star in Sexton. Although he is injured and on an expiring contract, Sexton is a restricted free agent in the offseason, and despite over the salary cap, Philadelphia can re-sign him because of Bird rights and also have the right to match an offer from an opposing team.

The other thought is finding a third team such as the Sacramento Kings for Sabonis. The framework of Simmons to Indiana, Sabonis and LeVert to Sacramento and De'Aaron Fox to the 76ers works. But is that enough for Philadelphia? Out of those two proposed trades, which one makes the most sense to you, Kevin?

Pelton: I'd probably rather have Sabonis, T.J. Warren and salary filler from Indiana if Warren might be able to return this season. Warren could play either forward position for the Sixers, and he brings a similar kind of shooting and shot-creation combo as Ingram.

Tyrese Maxey has outplayed Fox so far this season, and while Fox has the stronger track record and is likely to bounce back, it's not clear to me that is enough of an upgrade to beat out the potential of getting multiple contributors. And re-signing Sexton would get expensive next season for a team that's already in the luxury tax.

How about the McCollum option? How might that look?

Marks: Certainly a McCollum-for-Simmons trade works straight-up moneywise, but Philadelphia would want more back in return. For a deal to get done, Portland's Cronin would need to decide how much is too much. Because they owe the Chicago Bulls a first-round draft pick that is lottery protected in the next seven years, the Trail Blazers would need to alter the protection in the pick owed in order to send out additional firsts. For example, Portland can take the huge risk and leave their 2022 first-round pick unprotected and send Philadelphia a 2024 and 2026 first in the deal. The Trail Blazers could also minimize their exposure this season and amend the pick that is owed to Chicago. For example, if the Bulls agreed to it, Portland can drop the protection to a top five in 2022. If the pick is not conveyed, then the Trail Blazers would owe the Bulls their own 2022 second and a future second in 2027. That would then allow Portland to trade up to three future first-round picks. Besides McCollum and draft assets, I would also want forward Nassir Little as part of the trade. That gives you a big wing that the 76ers lack.

How do you see McCollum fitting in?

Pelton: The play of Maxey and Seth Curry has made trading for McCollum a less attractive option for Philadelphia. Curry has been the far more efficient scorer this season while bumping up his usage rate to 19% of the Sixers' plays -- not the kind of volume McCollum provides, but enough in concert with Maxey's shot creation and playmaking to not make it a huge need.

Add in McCollum, 30, being five years older than Simmons, and the Blazers would need to offer much more to facilitate a deal. Little could be a sticking point between the teams because he fits better in Philly than Anfernee Simons, Portland's 2018 first-round pick, but Little is also important if the Blazers are trying to win with a Lillard-Simmons core.

I think we find ourselves at the place we started. If no top-25 players are realistically available, the 76ers have to decide between getting the best package they can for Simmons now or waiting for a star to shake loose. That decision is best put off until the trade deadline rather than happening in December.

Marks: I agree, and the big question Philadelphia has to ask is what happens if there is no deal to their liking at the league's trade deadline on Feb. 10? Would they punt on a Simmons trade and wait until the offseason? The risk is that any chance of the Sixers coming out of the East is now remote.