11 Simmons trade ideas from Sixers fans after loss to Hawks

Sixers fans may have reached their breaking point with enigmatic All-Star Ben Simmons.

After 309 games across four seasons and four playoff runs, the reluctant star dropped a stinker in Game 5 vs. the Atlanta Hawks in one of the worst losses in franchise history, then followed it up with equally lackluster performances in the Game 6 win and an embarrassing Game 7 loss at home.

Simmons' confounding series was a lightning rod among fans and talking heads alike.

He can't shoot free throws. He can't shoot jumpers. He disappears for huge stretches of action. He disappears in crunch time. His game doesn't work in the playoffs. It's the same stuff we've been turning over in our hands for years - and nothing is changing. 

Which means it might be time to make the change happen yourself, and Sixers fans have come prepped with ideas.

After the Game 7 loss, various portions of Sixers Twitter, Sixers Reddit, and sports talk radio turned into one big trade machine, trying to figure out how to get Simmons out of town and fix the roster around a legit superstar in Joel Embiid.

MORE: Sixers fans crush Simmons for passing up easiest shot ever

I took a sweep around those corners of Sixers fandom and compiled an incomplete list of the guys Sixers fans want on their team in exchange for Simmons:

Luka Doncic

The Mavericks are reportedly having trouble keeping their young megastar happy. The organization just watched its general manager duck out. Doncic and Embiid would probably be the best two-man combination in the league starting next year.

VERDICT: Yes

Damian Lillard

Lillard has dug himself in as the superstar not willing to leave his original team, and hellbent on making it work there. I can't imagine the Blazers will be able to uproot him. But if the Sixers could do it, it's a no-brainer.

VERDICT: Yes

Kyle Lowry

The Sixers tried to add Lowry at the trade deadline, and they're reportedly still interested in pursuing him this offseason. He's a perfect fit with Embiid and Tobias Harris, a point guard who gets his own shot and brings the energy every night. 

VERDICT: Yes

CJ McCollum

McCollum isn't a slam-dunk superstar, but he's a pretty great No. 2 or No. 3 option in your offense, another guy who solves the Simmons conundrum of "what exactly does this guy do when he needs to get a bucket?"

VERDICT: Yes

Zach LaVine

LaVine's reputation on defense might worry some, but the Sixers trading defensive stardom for bona fide offensive excellence when their defense is still anchored by Embiid is perfectly fine.

VERDICT: Yes

Dejounte Murray

Murray is a fascinating case, because his game is what Simmons should be aiming for. He's a pass-first point guard with length and defensive brilliance who doesn't like shooting from range, but he still does it and is perfectly fine at it. He's not Simmons... but with each passing year, it seems like he might be close enough.

VERDICT: Maybe

Malcolm Brogdon

The Sixers were reportedly interested in Brogdon during the Summer of Horf, and he's a perfect fit for the current squad: a do-it-all guy on offense with defensive sturdiness. Plus you can reunite Brogdon with former Pacers assistant Dan Burke, who overlapped with Brogdon's first year in Indy.

VERDICT: Yes

Zion Williamson

Zion is such a weird case. You definitely want him on your team, because he scores and is an efficiency wunderkind on offense, but he doesn't seem interested in defense and has his own jump shot question marks. But he's young and his ceiling is much higher than Simmons', so...

VERDICT: Yes

Anthony Edwards

Edwards came on really strong in the second half of his rookie year. His confidence in his offensive game is basically the anti-Simmons, and he has the energy level to eventually become a halfway solid defender. Plus he's super young and cost-controlled for a few more years.

VERDICT: Maybe

Literally any superstar

It's becoming more and more clear that Simmons is not a superstar, and in the NBA you need superstars to win. Embiid is a superstar, but in 2021 having your only superstar be a post player isn't a winning formula.

VERDICT: Yes

Patty Mills and two tacos

This idea was apparently floated on WIP's Morning Show on Thursday, in the aftermath of that miserable loss. I've got to say, if we're talking South Philly Barbacoa then I don't hate it.

VERDICT: Maybe, if you're hungry