Should the Knicks kick the tires on a Ben Simmons trade?

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Why the New York Knicks should stay far away from any Ben Simmons trade talks:

Coming off a disappointing campaign, the Philadelphia 76ers are preparing to make a few changes. One of those changes could involve trading point guard Ben Simmons, who is currently on a massive five-year, $177 million deal. Having signed the extension prior to the 2020–21 season, Simmons is set to earn $33 million next year at 25 years old. The first overall pick in 2016 has struggled considerably in multiple categories with Philadelphia, despite being named an All-Star for three consecutive seasons.

When it comes to Simmons, he lands in the trade candidate boat, as the 76ers would prefer to keep Joel Embiid as the face of the franchise.

There are expected to be plenty of teams interested in Simmons, coming off an embarrassing series against the Atlanta Hawks scoring a high of 18 points in Game 3. As a supposed elite point guard, scoring just 18 is lackluster, as Philadelphia desperately needed him to be more efficient. In fact, he barely shot .400 from the free-throw line throughout the series, an embarrassing mark that has led the 76ers to consider parting ways with the five-year veteran.

The knicks, however, could have interest in Simmons as a trade piece, and coming off a tough postseason, they could get him at a discount.

President Leon Rose would be foolish to part ways with draft capital and/or players in exchange for Simmons, who missed more free throws this year in the playoffs than Steve Nash missed in the playoffs in his entire career. Simmons shot 67 free throws while Nash shot 440, showcasing just how poor he was in the category. He missed 45 of 67 free throws, showcasing an issue he simply has no solution for. He finished the regular season with a .613 percentage from the line, an unacceptable number for a point guard making over $30 million per season.

Despite the trade rumors, the 76ers do seem to have plans that involve helping develop Simmons as a shooter, as he stayed far away from any three-point attempts this past year. He makes his living in the paint, driving to the hoop and finishing from short range.

“I believe, without going into detail with what we’re doing, I believe we know what the right work is, and the right type of work, and the right way to do it,” Rivers said regarding Simmons’ shooting woes. “You can do the work all the time, but if it’s not done in the right way and the right type of work, you may not improve.

Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers seems optimistic they can help Simmons improve, but at this point in his career, it is quite clear he’ll never be a prominent three-point shooter and may never break the .800 mark from the line.

Considering the Knicks have $60+ million in funds, trading for Simmons would cut that number in half and force them to part ways with significant capital. For all intents and purposes, the Knicks should stay far away from Simmons and any trade rumors.

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