Toronto Raptors: Marc Stein confirms interest in Ben Simmons trade

The Toronto Raptors might be in the market for a new starting point guard considering the fact that Kyle Lowry might be ready to leave Canada, while the rival Philadelphia 76ers could trade in their former No. 1 pick in Ben Simmons as part of their quest to retool and compete for a title.

After a disastrous playoff series in which his team was upset by Trae Young and the Hawks, Simmons showed that his lack of a perimeter game can hurt his team in the postseason, which has prompted Daryl Morey and Elton Brand to consider trading him.

Philadelphia has constantly espoused the belief that it will take an All-Star caliber player coming to the 76ers in order to give up Simmons in a trade. The Raptors might not have the best collection of tradeable assets in the world, but that isn’t going to stop them from trying to at least check in on him.

Appearing on a podcast with Chad Ford, insider Marc Stein claims that the Raptors have “expressed some interest” in trading for Simmons, with his versatility and defensive potential once again making him an appealing acquisition target. Could the Raptors actually pull this off?

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Could the Toronto Raptors trade for Ben Simmons?

The most obvious candidate to head to Philadelphia in exchange for Simmons is Lowry, who could end up back in his hometown thanks to a sign-and-trade. While Lowry does fit the “All-Star player” quota, his age might make him less desirable than some competing, younger players.

Simmons has been named an All-Star in each of the last three seasons, and he finished right behind Rudy Gobert in Defensive Player of the Year voting. His lack of shot-creation is a huge concern, but players with his combination of rebounding, defense, passing, and handles, especially at his height, are incredibly rare.

Keeping things the same as it was in Philadelphia might not move the needle for Toronto. they either need to make him a quality perimeter shooter or move him down to the power forward or center spot in order to use his athletic ability to create mismatches on the interior. If Simmons becomes a quality offensive player, Toronto will have stolen a franchise player.

Trading Simmons will be a tall order for Philadelphia, but Toronto could potentially provide them with the assets in order to make a deal work. If anyone can take Simmons and turn him into a player that can at least be a threat from the 3-point like, it’s a coach like Nick Nurse.