LA Clippers: Hypothetical trades prove Ben Simmons will be too costly

It’s perhaps the league’s worst-kept secret that the Philadelphia 76ers want way too much for their disgruntled star, and a recent hypothetical trade proposal landing him on the LA Clippers only confirmed that.

Sixers General Manager Daryl Morey has had what can only be described as a king’s ransom in mind in any potential trade for Ben Simmons, which has led to no action being taken on the trade front despite several interested parties.

With no real trade rumors ever coming to fruition, Simmons had no choice but to return to Philadelphia so that he wouldn’t start incurring financial losses.

Showing up to the Wells Fargo Center last Monday unannounced was right on par with how awkward the situation has been for both sides.

It would be a surprise if Simmons and the Sixers picked right back up where they left off as if nothing happened, which still leaves plenty of room for trade speculation.

While the LA Clippers haven’t been listed as an interested party, that didn’t stop Bleacher Report from proposing a trade that would land the three-time NBA All-Star in Los Angeles. The trade was as follows:

Oh boy. So, beyond completely gutting the Clippers’ assets, the proposed trade rids LA of one of their rising young players in Terance Mann, a sharpshooter in Luke Kennard, and the guy they moved up in the draft for. Alright, then.

Still, when you look at what Morey has been rumored to want in return, this kind of haul doesn’t seem far off. After all, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported the Sixers wanted three first-round picks and three pick swaps to top off a trade for CJ McCollum.

Even our colleagues that cover the 76ers seem to be on the same train of thought as Morey, as this proposed deal with the Spurs from The Sixer Sense showed. In it, San Antonio would be sending Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker, Keldon Johnson, two first-round picks, and three first-round pick swaps to Philadelphia for Simmons and Shake Milton.

Obviously, neither the Spurs nor the Clippers would agree to such outrageous terms, but the fact that they are close to what Philadelphia actually wants speaks to how much that team is overvaluing their point guard.

Maybe as the season begins and things don’t work out well, their asking price will go down a bit. Until then, I think it’s safe to say the Clippers will be steering clear.