Report: Toronto Among 3 Teams 'Most Likely' to Land Ben Simmons

The Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, and Washington Wizards are reportedly the three teams most likely to land Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons

Aaron Rose | Jul 28, 2021

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

A shakeup may be on the horizon for the Toronto Raptors.

Multiple reports have suggested the Raptors are pursuing a star this summer and Philadelphia 76ers quasi-guard Ben Simmons in particular. The 25-year-old seems to have played his final game with the 76ers after a disastrous 2021 playoffs and the Raptors are reportedly one of three teams most likely to land the three-time all-star.

"One source close to the situation handicapped Miami, Toronto and Washington as the most likely landing spots," according to The Athletic's Sam Amick.

The Wizards are the most obvious destination if they're willing to part ways with Bradley Beal. The 28-year-old star has yet to formally request a trade, but that hasn't stopped teams including Toronto from reportedly poking around to see what Washington would be looking for in a deal.

The Heat don't make a ton of sense for Simmons' considering his lack of three-point shooting and Jimmy Butler's 24.4% three-point shooting over the past two seasons. While Miami has found a way to succeed without Butler nailing his three-pointers at a high rate, adding another guard without much three-point shooting would really restrict the team's spacing.

The mechanics of a Raptors deal for Simmons remain unclear. The 76ers reportedly asked for Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and the No. 4 pick for Simmons, which Toronto obviously said no to.

🏀 Ben Simmons talks accelerating
🏀 Kyle Lowry's priorities in free agency
🏀 So much draft intel @HPbasketball delivers the latest surrounding the biggest offseason storylines in the NBA:
https://t.co/8xrwpSIZBk
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) July 27, 2021

Toronto has reportedly been shopping Pascal Siakam to teams and 76ers president Daryl Morey has been doing his research on Siakam, but nothing has materialized yet.

Further Reading