NBA Rumors: Two Potential Ben Simmons-To-Phoenix Suns Blockbuster Trade Ideas

One of the most intriguing names that are currently being linked to the Suns is All-Star point guard Ben Simmons of the Phoenix Suns. In a recent article, Corey Rausch of Fansided's Hoops Habit proposed two hypothetical blockbuster trade ideas that would send Simmons to the Suns.

The first trade is a simple straight swap between Simmons and Chris Paul. In the second suggested deal, the Suns would be sending a trade package that includes DeAndre Ayton, Dario Saric, and Jae Crowder to the Sixers in exchange for Simmons.

With the way that he's playing right now, there's no chance that the Suns would ever consider trading Paul for Simmons before the 2022 NBA trade deadline. Paul has been remarkable from the time he arrived in Phoenix and proved to be a great fit alongside Booker in the Suns' backcourt. This season, he's averaging 14.1 points, 10.4 assists, and 2.1 steals while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.

Trading Paul for Simmons would only make sense for the Suns if they decide to prioritize their long-term future over their chance of competing for the NBA championship title in the 2021-22 NBA season. Unlike Paul who's already on the downside of his career, Simmons is still a rising star and perfectly fits the timeline of Booker.

Meanwhile, as Rausch noted, sacrificing Ayton to acquire Simmons would be worth exploring for the Suns if they don't have any plan of giving the young center a massive contract extension next summer.

"Conversely, the front office made it clear where they stood on the Deandre Ayton situation when they chose not to give him a max extension this offseason," Rausch wrote. "Moving on from him before free agency would allow the team to control the progression from here, though Ayton’s fit with Embiid is nonexistent."

Between the two proposed trade ideas, the only hypothetical deal that makes sense for the Sixers is the one that would send CP3 to the City of Brotherly Love. Paul would give the Sixers an All-Star caliber point guard who has plenty of playoff experience and is capable of knocking down shots from beyond the arc. At 36, Paul could still perform at a high level and would complement Embiid on the court.

Adding CP3 to the core of Embiid, Tobias Harris, Danny Green, and Seth Curry would strengthen the Sixers' chance of beating the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and other Eastern Conference powerhouse teams in a best-of-seven series.