Charlotte Hornets: 2 trades to acquire Ben Simmons

The Charlotte Hornets need defensive help – both on the perimeter and inside – their issues on that end of the floor do not just stem from not having a high-level big man to rely on in the paint.

Charlotte Hornets: 2 trades to acquire Ben Simmons

However, one player makes a tremendous amount of sense for the team – Ben Simmons.

Simmons does not come without his faults, but he is inherently less risky for the Hornets because of three main reasons:

1.     Simmons has four years left on his contract.
2.     Simmons is a 3-time All-Star.
3.     Simmons wants to be traded currently, and he could fill a role that the Hornets need.

Now, that does not exactly make Simmons the perfect, end-all-be-all trade target. If the Hornets were to pursue a trade for him, he would likely have to agree to play center – a different role than what he has done for the Philadelphia 76ers in the first several seasons of his career.

That’s not to say that a potential deal involving Charlotte could not happen, but it may be even less likely considering what 76ers executive Daryl Morey is asking from teams in talks (or, at least, in rumors).

For instance, last week, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Celtics quickly ended talks over Ben Simmons after the 76ers requested Jaylen Brown be in the deal.

With that said –  the Hornets actually do have a good amount of young pieces that they could realistically include in a trade for Simmons. So, let’s get into the packages.