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Friday, December 22, 2023

Could Trae Young and the Disgruntled Sixers Star Become the Atlanta Hawks’ Backcourt of the Future?

The Philadelphia 76ers, who boast the best record in the Eastern Conference and have a playoff spot locked up for this season, are now struggling with a young core of players. The team’s biggest weakness has been their backcourt play as point guard Ben Simmons hasn’t quite lived up to expectations while shooting guard JJ Redick is old enough that he can no longer do everything on an NBA court. Enter Trae Young and undrafted rookie Landry Shamet into Philly’s future plans?

The “hawks nba” is a question that has been on the minds of many NBA fans. Trae Young and the disgruntled Sixers star could become the Atlanta Hawks’ backcourt of the future.

Since the summer, Ben Simmons trade rumors have been circulating. It’s currently trade speculation season in the NBA. It’s flammable to combine the two (but, admittedly, really fun). And now, the Philadelphia 76ers player is said to be on his way to the Atlanta Hawks, where he would play with Trae Young.

Young and Simmons look to be like oil and water at first glance (the opposite of combustible).

Is this, however, true, or do the two make sense together? Is there a way for Atlanta and Philadelphia to make a meaningful deal?

Ben Simmons trade rumors aren’t going away anytime soon.

Since speculations began this summer, Big Ben has been connected to almost every NBA team. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, and Portland Trail Blazers are some of the most popular teams in the NBA.

Some of the arguments made sense. Others, on the other hand, aren’t so sure.

Atlanta, according to Marc Stein, is the most recent prospective suitor.

“One league insider told me this week to keep an eye on Atlanta as a rising bidder for Philadelphia’s Simmons,” Stein stated on CBS Sports’ The Stein Line podcast.

“The Hawks don’t seem to have an available star on the level of Lillard or Beal to make the kind of offer Philadelphia is looking for in Simmons, but they do have a plethora of attractive trade assets to attempt to pull in other teams and widen the choices in a hypothetical multi-team deal.”

The reports are still circulating, and more clubs are reportedly being added to the list.

However, Atlanta is one of the most intriguing cities to emerge in recent years.

With Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks, Simmons makes basketball sense.

The latest Ben Simmons trade rumor has him pairing up with Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks.

The latest Ben Simmons trade rumor has him pairing up with Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. The Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons secures a rebound against the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young. Getty Images/Kevin C. Cox

After practically half of the season, the Hawks are 17-21 and in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, a letdown for a club that reached the Eastern Conference Finals the previous season.

Atlanta is the league’s seventh-best offensive team, averaging 111.3 points per game. With a Young-led squad, that end of the floor is seldom a concern. However, with a defensive rating of 113.1, the squad is ranked 26th.

Not to add, according to The Athletic, the club’s general manager, Travis Schlenk, has practically said that his team is available for business:

“Every team we play scores 130 points,” Schlenk said. “We can only make adjustments (three) times: at the draft, free agency, and the trade deadline. It’s my obligation to put a winning product on the market, and right now, I’m not sure whether I’ve done that.”

As a result, Schlenk and the Hawks’ management may be thinking about Simmons.

What exactly would he bring to Atlanta that Schlenk is looking for, and how well would it work with Trae?

First and foremost, he would assist the Hawks in ensuring that “any team” they face does not score 130 points. The 6-foot-11 guard has been selected First-Team All-Defense on two occasions, most recently in 2020-21.

Young, who is also small and lightweight, is a sieve on that side of the ball and can’t rebound. Simmons is the polar opposite of all of them, and he excels at all three.

The previous franchise cornerstone in Philadelphia, on the other hand, isn’t a threat to shoot and can’t spread the floor. Young has no shortage of self-assurance in any of those areas.

As Stein pointed out, there would have to be some back-and-forth on both sides, but a backcourt partnership of Trae and Ben might work since both guards would compensate for the other’s most glaring flaws. Young is one of the NBA’s top offensive guards. Simmons, regardless of position, is one of the top defensive players in the league.

The two stars are a perfect match.

What does the future hold for both clubs if an agreement is reached?

If there is such a thing as too much depth, Atlanta has it. Schlenk and the Hawks elected to revert to last year’s lineup, but there are just too many players vying for playing time.

The Hawks will need to consolidate many assets in exchange for one anyway. In this situation, Cam Reddish, De’Andre Hunter, Danilo Gallinari, Onyeka Okongwu, Lou Williams, and Kevin Huerter are all expendable.

Atlanta could still add Simmons to a core of Young, John Collins, Clint Capela, and Bogdan Bogdanovic if it signed Simmons. The Hawks’ defense, which is now keeping them from making another long postseason run, would also increase tenfold.

For Philly and general manager Daryl Morey, it goes without saying that the team will be able to move on from this situation, and if a deal is reached, the team will probably receive what it wants in exchange.

And, hey, Ben isn’t going to get in the way of any of Trae’s 30-footers. When he misses, he’ll simply collect the offensive rebounds.

NBA.com provided all data.

RELATED: It’s Time to Detonate the Sacramento Kings, and a Three-Way Trade Including Ben Simmons Could Do It

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