Marcus Smart said Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown “don’t want to pass the ball.” Brown called those comments “something that we probably didn’t need.”
How broken are Boston’s chemistry and ball movement?
Enough to trade for Ben Simmons?
Shams Charania of The Athletic:
Simmons, with his ability to get his team in transition and sharp passing skill, could help Boston.
But he’s not as valuable in a vacuum as Brown, a talented individual multi-level wing scorer who plays solid defense. Brown’s style lends itself well to the playoffs, where Simmons has disappeared.
I wouldn’t read too much into negotiations that, even according to this report, have gained no traction.
Of course, the Celtics are interested in Simmons. He’s a productive young player. Nearly every team should be at least interested, and a call to Philadelphia never hurts. But there’s a big difference between interest and meeting the 76ers’ high asking price. There’s no indication Boston will do the latter.
A trade would be further complicated by Brown’s hamstring injury and lingering symptoms from coronavirus. And of course, there’s Simmons’ ongoing unwillingness to play.
Talk of Simmons to Boston, where he’s particularly mocked for his lack of shooting, is juicy. But that doesn’t make it realistic.