Report: Raptors Among Teams to have 'Expressed Interest' in 76ers' Ben Simmons

The Toronto Raptors are reportedly among a handful of teams interested in acquiring Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons this summer

Aaron Rose | Jul 13, 2021

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Raptors are reportedly taking a look at Philadelphia 76ers' guard Ben Simmons these days.

The Raptors are one of a handful of teams including Cleveland, Indiana, Minnesota, and Sacramento that have reportedly expressed interest in Simmons, Marc Stein reported in his new Substack.

Simmons' future in Philadelphia remains unclear. The 24-year-old has yet to develop the kind of outside shooting necessary to pair with Joel Embiid. It's repeatedly become a problem for the 76ers in the playoffs and this year was no different. Simmons attempted just one three-pointer in the playoffs and by the end of the Eastern Conference semifinals, he appeared unwilling to take any shots.

The problem with moving Simmons now is his trade value has certainly fallen off after the disastrous playoffs and, as Stein reported, 76ers general manager Daryl Morey has no issues taking his time before making a move involving Simmons.

For Toronto, Simmons' fit wouldn't be straightforward. The Raptors should have plenty of guard depth with Fred VanVleet, Malachi Flynn, Gary Trent Jr., and possibly Jalen Suggs, not to mention Kyle Lowry who could return in free agency this summer. Unless OG Anunoby or Pascal Siakam are moved in the trade, Toronto already has two valuable wings that don't need to be replaced. Ideally, Simmons could play center for Toronto, but his size and lack of experience at the position could pose the same kind of problems the Raptors dealt with this past year when they asked Chris Boucher and Anunoby to play out of position for extended stretches.

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