You Are Daryl Morey

[Lipoli390]

Imagine you've just been hired to replace Daryl Morey and have marching orders from ownership to trade Simmons by the start of the season. Which of the following packages would you choose in exchange for Simmons? You have to choose one and you can't keep Simmons. All the picks are unprotected.

[KG4Ever]

Interesting. Very difficult to choose among them. If I'm long term focused, I do like Jaden and 3 picks. However, if I'm more short term focused, Its nearly a toss up between VanVleet, Anunoby and picks, Haliburton, Hield and picks, and Sexton, Okoro, Rubio and picks.

[Coolbreeze44]

I think you have to offer a Wolves package that doesn't include Jaden. I would hope he's not included in every option the Wolves are considering. If we have to give him up to land Simmons so be it. But in my opinion a deal including Jaden should have less asset elements tied to it.

[worldK]

The best deal for the sixers among the choices for me is the Dlo, jaden , 2 first and a 2nd pick offer. Dlo is very underappreciated here but he is a terrific player with all star talent. His game fits with Embiid. Jaden is going to be a future core piece for a team. He has the potential to be as good and as versatile of a defender as Simmons is within the next 2 years. Dlo and Jaden can help the sixers win more the next season than the other combos. You also add two more first and a 2nd.

On the opposite side, That is the deal I dont want the wolves to make. I think that is too much to give up. I might concede to giving up both for simmons but not 2 more unprotected first and a 2nd. Dlo/jaden and a protected first is my best offer from the wolves perspective.

[WildWolf2813]

of those options, easily Toronto's. That's a win now move that I don't think Toronto should offer.

Sacramento's is the most realistic.

[Monster]

I went with the first wolves package it has the most assets and also has limited salary I'm taking on past this season. I know it's maybe not going to bring immediate high end guard help but that would be a heck of a haul for Simmons at this point.

Once I agreed to this deal I would be calling the Cavs and tell them I would trade them any 2 assets of Beasley and the 1st round picks for Sexton or Garland.

[FNG]

of those options, easily Toronto's. That's a win now move that I don't think Toronto should offer.

Sacramento's is the most realistic.

WW, I see Toronto's package as easily the best too. Morey knows he currently has a 50-win team and has to be in win now mode... he needs to find the best player(s) to move them up a notch. Simmons has the obvious flaw of being unwilling to shoot beyond 10 feet and Morey knows he has to go. But he's also an analytics guy, and he knows Simmons overall makes a very positive impact on the court every minute he is out there. He's not likely to trade a positive player (even one who is hated in Philly) for a player or players whom analytics prove do not have a positive impact. Unfortunately, that includes our locally highly-overrated Dlo and Beasley...they are both good scorers, but Morey is smart enough to see they are the inverse of Simmons in helping a team win. And the only two players in the above deals whom analytics show to be 2-way players who consistently have a positive impact on a team (other than Rubio, who is too old to be an attractive piece in a trade package...heck, he was just traded straight up for Taurean Fricking Prince) are VanVleet and Anunoby. I think Morey knows he can slot these two guys into his already solid core, and they will still be a 50+ win team. I'm not convinced they get to 50 this year with any of the other packages.

Dammit, Lip...I went to bed last night feeling quite optimistic about the Wolves' chances of landing Simmons. I blame Cam, who has been the most persuasive voice here in laying out the case for a Philly/Wolves deal at an attractive price for us :) . But when I compare the Toronto deal (which reports say Morey is comfortable with) to anything the Wolves can offer that doesn't include KAT or Ant, we fall woefully short. Vegas doesn't agree, but if these are the only options out there for Morey, he clearly takes the Toronto deal.

[Wolvesfan21]

I look at the Toronto deal but then I look at their record and they won an amazing 4 more games then the Wolves did last season. The Wolves were also without DLO and KAT for much of the season. If I'm Toronto I'm in rebuild mode, I can't be giving up 1st rounders in order to acquire Simmons. My core simply isn't good enough for me to contend with Simmons/Siakim. I'm probably a .500 team at best at that point.

[Monster]

I'll just add that if winning now is the thing then yeah the Toronto deal is the best. This is about what I would do though and getting McDaniels for 3 cheap years, Beasley and 4 first round picks from the franchise who is one of the worst in pro sports...I'm doing that deal and figuring something out later. The only problem with that deal is if the Sixers have players at the end of the roster they really value.

[FNG]

I look at the Toronto deal but then I look at their record and they won an amazing 4 more games then the Wolves did last season. The Wolves were also without DLO and KAT for much of the season. If I'm Toronto I'm in rebuild mode, I can't be giving up 1st rounders in order to acquire Simmons. My core simply isn't good enough for me to contend with Simmons/Siakim. I'm probably a .500 team at best at that point.

You may have come up with the reason Toronto is reported to be not willing to make the deal. But I see it differently. Covid had more of an impact on the Raptors than any other team with the NBA shutting them down for a couple weeks. And yet still they finished the season with a +25 point differential. Basketball Reference said they were the unluckiest team in the league last year, and should have finished 34-32. That said, Toronto still isn't biting on Philly's offer.