Would you trade John Wall & 3 - 4 1st rounders for Ben Simmons?

the issue for the pro tankers like myself is that picking 9 isn't possible, you are 100% guaranteed a top 5 pick if you have a bottom 3 record, and i would MUCH rather take another shot (or likely 2) at a top 3 pick and a franchise player over adding simmons AND losing assets

 

I don’t really want Simmons contract, but I have serious doubts a top FA worth spending $$ on will ever agree to play for TF.

 

I believe you have to have the worst record to have the 5th pick as your lowest possible outcome. I am not sure if it worst the same way for the second worst record and that being 6th as the worst outcome. Maybe so though.

 

I think I have more faith in the abilities of our players, if not their health. I think poor health is the only thing that guarantees us bottom 3. If our starters, no matter who they end up being, each stay healthy for 70 games, I can’t see us being bottom 3. Even if that doesn’t happen and you get a top 5 pick, that player still has to have a successful career, which is harder than people seem to think.

 

absolutely, chances are EVEN if we get super lucky and get another top 2 pick, that player won't be a superstar. However, the chance isn't zero, and with simmons i can say the chance is flat out 0, so giving up hope would just hurt the franchise so much

 

The difference between Ben and Giannis is work ethic. This is why I am not optimistic about him improving. I am one of the people who said that if Simmons played with Giannis's mindset, he'd be a perennial MVP candidate. But he does not have that mindset.

 

Glad you aint the GM. You forgot the Rockets are in rebuild mode and got 2 young promising guards already?

 

so why not consider adding a proven forward who hasn’t even reached his potential? If it doesn’t cost you much.

 

Being an elite defender takes work too.

That's an ability that requires maximum effort night and night out + IQ.

Rockets don't need Simmons to carry offensive load but Rockets certainly need improvement on D.

 

Are you crazy!?

Haven't you seen that TF sent a player to where he wanted to go???

That means every single player in the league is going to be lining up to play for him!! At least that's what I've read on Clutchfans.

 

There is also humility and humbleness with Giannis. Ben thinks there is nothing wrong with his game and thinks his skill set should warrant a crown as King of Philly.
Someone will figure out how to use his talents but even with all his issues I doubt Philly really takes Wall for him. I think Morey knows that would put them in mediocrity and doesn't move the needle far enough. Morey isn't dumb. Neither is sweetening the deal by giving them Eric Gordon. If we are going to take on another max contract to replace Wall's it needs to be one that instantly makes us way better, or is expiring at a similar time frame and doesn't hinder the growth of our either future stars/ assets, or for multiple decent players that will/ can easily be used in a package deal to get us a future disgruntuled star.
My eye is on Ja Morant. The kid is way too competitive to settle on a Memphis team that I feel didn't regress but has still not improved enough to be better than even a rebuilding Rockets this season.

 

I thought that was implied in the plan I had laid out for that 2023 offseason. I don't think its time to use those picks to fill out the roster now , that comes along with the expiration of John Wall's contract when you have $60m in cap space too .... either in free agency or a sign and trade & you need assets to make that happen.


Thing is , with that free agency opportunity , you also have the opportunity this year to acquire a top 6ish pick because this team is so young and inexperienced.

Really telling Wall you have no place here was telling him you'll screw up the tank. We're gonna play guys who are going to make mistakes and we're Ok with that because it A) gets them experience and B) gets us another top tier pick.

This year they are bottom feeders
2022/23 they make the playoffs
2023/24 they make a deep run and are one of the better teams for several consecutive years (assuming Tilman pays to keep the team together. It cold get really expensive ....

 

You left out one aspect - The difference in cap space between the two directions , Simmons takes up almost $40m in cap space in 2023/24 and over $40m in 24/25.


There is the possibility you do draft Hashem Thabeet then again maybe you get Lebron or Durant .... Odds are its something inbetween.

But can you get a better piece(s) / fit than Simmons with that $40m in FA or S&T ? Also how does that $40m affect the want them paying their own FA's in Wood , Tate & KPJ that offseason.

To me , Simmons is a pretty good ball handler and passer ..... for his size. But he's not as good as a true guard in that aspect.
He's also a pretty good defender against bigs and smalls - for his size but isn't really all that effective against either compared to the contemporary guard / big.
Then there's the shooting issues .... Is that a guy you really want to spend $40m of your cap on which hinders you in other ways ?

You might be better off having drafted Thabeet and being able to cut and run for chump change rather than taking on that contract

 

Are we gonna tank one more year?

 

I think Ben Simmons does a few things.
1) take us out of top 10 pick
2) basically solidify the harden trade minus the swaps, which will most likely not be used.

I think you can get behind it if you think Ben Simmons can be a 2nd best player (bc he will never be the best) on a championship team and attract more stars to play with him.

 

I cringe anytime someone mentions ASG/pro bowl appearances as a way to measure a player in any sport.

 

https://rocketswire.usatoday.com/20...ckets-preferred-tyler-herro-over-ben-simmons/

Morey has to be the one leaking this and the others about how the Rockets didn’t see Simmons as worthy enough to be the centerpiece in the Harden deal, right?

Seems like someone wants Simmons to see the 76ers weren’t the only ones questioning his abilities and IMO no one else makes sense...

 

Can't we all just get along?

 

Delete

 

LOL yes, nowadays its almost a proof of being overrated perhaps because if player is really good there would be no need to cite it