1) Players to target in a LaVine trade: Ben Simmons, Point Guard
Of the three potential trade targets for the Bulls on this list if they were to be willing to part ways with LaVine on the block that could be the most valuable would be the Sixers star 6-foot-10 point guard and former LSU Tiger Ben Simmons. This Melbourne, Australia, native is now 24 years old and is going through a difficult run early in his career with a talented Sixers team.
This Sixers team is reaching a crossroads at this point of “The Process”. Now that head coach Brett Brown is out the door in Philly and there’s a bundle of questions surrounding front office executive Elton Brand, there’s a lot on the line for Simmons’ future. He also isn’t meshing very well with the likes of star center Joel Embiid, forward Tobias Harris, and big man Al Horford, it’s hard to tell what his future entails in this city.
If Simmons is made available this offseason, it would be really difficult for the Bulls to avoid putting LaVine into the trade talks with the Sixers.
But what the Bulls would be getting out of Simmons is the 2019-20 steals champ, two-time NBA All-Star selection, and the 2017-18 Rookie of the Year award winner. He played in 57 games in the season that was for the Sixers, prior to a season-ending lower-body injury.
Simmons averaged 16.4 points per game, 7.8 rebounds, 8.0 assists, a league leading 2.1 steals, and 0.6 blocks. He shot 58.0 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from beyond the arc, and 62.1 percent from the free-throw line. That amounted to a 3.6 box plus/minus rating, .165 win shares per 48 minutes, and a 60.2 true shooting percentage.
If there’s any way to get a game-changing talent like Simmons to the Windy City, the Bulls should be all over it.