Dane Moore NBA Podcast: Hypothetical Ben Simmons Trades

Any reasonable hypothetical Ben Simmons trade conversation is about surmising what Simmons, an All-NBA player at just 24 years old, would be worth on the trade market. From there, the conversation turns to: What teams in the NBA possess assets that match up to Simmons’ worth?

On this week’s pod, Jack Borman joins to discuss Simmons’ pedigree as a player with the intention of coming to some consensus on what the cost of acquiring him via trade would be. We also rank the Timberwolves tradable positive assets in an effort to draw a line in the sand of what the front office would need to offer. (Assets listed below.) Finally, we get to a few hypothetical multi-team trades that Jack concocted.

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Timberwolves’ Immediately Tradable Assets (not including Towns and Russell)

Draft Assets

• 2020 #1
• 2020 #17
• 2023 unprotected
• 2025 unprotected

Roster Assets

• Jarrett Culver — 3 years, $20.6M remaining
• Josh Okogie — 2 years, $6.7M remaining
• Malik Beasley — RFA (sign-and-trade value)
• Naz Reid — 3 years, $5.2M (non-guaranteed)
• Jake Layman — 2 years, $7.7M
• Juancho Hernangomez — RFA (sign-and-trade value)

What the Los Angeles Clippers traded for Paul George

Draft Assets

• 2022 LAC 1st (unprotected)
• 2024 LAC 1st (unprotected)
• 2026 LAC 1st (unprotected)
• 2021 Miami 1st (unprotected)
• 2023 Miami 1st (top 14 protected)
• 2023 pick swap (OKC can swap 1sts w/ LAC)
• 2025 pick swap (OKC can swap 1sts w/ LAC)

Roster Assets (remaining contract at the time of trade)

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (3 years, $13.6M before RFA)
• Danillo Gallinari (1 year, $22.6M before UFA)

What the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Anthony Davis

Draft Assets

• 2019 #4 overall*
• 2021 LAL 1st (top-8 protected — becomes unprotected in 2022 if does not convey)
• 2024 LAL 1st (unprotected — NOP has the option to defer to 2025)
• 2023 pick swap (NOP can swap 1sts w/ LAL)

*#4 pick was then traded for…

• 2019 #8 overall (became Jaxson Hayes)
• 2019 #17 overall (became Nickeil Alexander-Walker)
• 2019 #35 overall (became Marcos Louzada Silva)
• 2021 CLE 2nd
• 2022 CLE 2nd
• Ability to dump Solomon Hill’s 1-year, $12.8M contract

Roster Assets (remaining contract at the time of trade)

• Brandon Ingram (1 year, $7.3M before RFA)
• Lonzo Ball (2 years, $19.7M before RFA)
• Josh Hart (2 years, $5.4M before RFA)