Both Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid Heavily Favored to Remain With 76ers for 2020-21 NBA Season

• Following a massively disappointing season, the Philadelphia 76ers are set for a busy offseason
• Head coach Brett Brown was fired on Monday and the Sixers will likely be exploring major trades
• The odds heavily favor the Sixers to keep hold of their franchise cornerstones Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid

The 2019-20 season was as bad as it could be for the Philadelphia 76ers. A team that began with serious title aspirations was swept in the first round of the Eastern Conference’s playoffs. They head into the offseason with no head coach after firing Brett Brown, and weighed down by two of the worst contracts in the NBA.

Philly need to do more than just change their coach, however. Trade speculation has already begun, and once again the prospect of splitting up All-Star duo Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons is being discussed across talk shows and social media.

Simmons injured his knee in the bubble and missed all of the Sixers’ playoff sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics. Embiid was healthy on this occasion, but he was unable to make it a competitive series and was notably frustrated when speaking to the media after Game 4.

Odds on Ben Simmons’ NBA Team for 2020-21 Season

All odds taken August 25th

Gossip Leaking Around Simmons

The reporting in the wake of the Sixers’ humiliating playoff exit has not reflected well on Simmons. He might not have been on the team for the series, but several stories have come out about the All-Star point guard.

Simmons’ refusal to shoot jumpshots has been one of many high-profile tales following the Sixers in recent years, and it has been suggested he did not react well when Brown publicly asked him to shoot one three per game. Chris Haynes also reported that Simmons ‘took issue’ with Jimmy Butler.

"Brown didn’t appreciate how outspoken Butler was with his coaching tactics, and Ben Simmons once took issue with a text message Butler sent in a team group chat that instructed Simmons what not to do in an upcoming game against Brooklyn."

– @ChrisBHaynes pic.twitter.com/AlV9oTXVbL

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 23, 2020

There is a hard on ceiling on Simmons’ effectiveness unless he starts shooting. That ceiling is still pretty high given his Defensive Player of the Year standard, and his elite passing and athleticism on offense.

A team built around Simmons could be a real contender, but the Sixers are so very far from that at the moment.

Trade Value High Enough?

Simmons’ trade value is clearly very high even with his extension kicking in. The Suns and Warriors both have the shooting to stretch the floor for Simmons, and Golden State could construct a deal around Andrew Wiggins’ salary, the second overall pick and the Timberwolves’ 2021 selection. Philly will want picks in any Simmons trade, but a package like that doesn’t help them build a contender around Embiid. It’s the sort of deal they would look for if they were going for a full rebuild.

The Sixers should be willing to trade *whatever* it would take to get Chris Paul with Embiid and Simmons

— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) August 23, 2020

The fit on the Bulls, Knicks or Pelicans is questionable. The Knicks shouldn’t be looking to make a big trade just yet (that doesn’t mean they won’t), and they don’t have the shooting to offer Philly. Zion Williamson and Simmons together doesn’t make any sense. Zach LaVine is the prominent Chicago asset that could interest the Sixers – but what’s the point in the Bulls making that trade?

The 76ers’ loss to the Celtics showed where they are without Simmons. For all his flaws, Simmons brings top-level playmaking, transition scoring and one-through-five defense. It’s very hard to imagine a trade package that makes it worthwhile for the Sixers to trade the former first overall pick.

Although the focus is often on Embiid’s health, Simmons has suffered two significant injuries in 2020. They would further drive down his trade value, too.

Odds on Joel Embiid’s NBA Team for 2020-21 Season

Nearly Impossible to Move Embiid

Embiid is a much shorter price than Simmons to remain with the Sixers. Given his injury history and the league-wide trend away from post play, that’s understandable. The Sixers would get a better package for Simmons than they would for Embiid despite Simmons’ lack of a jumpshot.

Like Simmons, Embiid has not improved as much as many expected he would. There are easy criticisms to be made about his conditioning, and some of those are fair, but the Sixers’ failure to construct a suitable roster has made Embiid’s life more difficult.

For the first time, Embiid gave an inkling that he could play for another team in the near-future. These comments could have been made with the intention of putting pressure on the organization to make other changes, or it could be a sign that an Embiid trade request is not far away.

Armed with those two picks and matchable salary in Wiggins, it’s unsurprising to see the Warriors feature again here. A deal with the rival Celtics seems unlikely, but with picks aplenty, Boston could build a solid package for Embiid. It would likely have to work around Gordon Hayward opting in and being sent to Philadelphia – how valuable is one season of Hayward to the Sixers?

Doris Burke spitting straight FACTS about the Sixers organization.

-Embiid + Simmons can work
-Brett Brown isn’t the only problem
-forces in play above Elton as well
-Horford makes life worse for Embiid and Ben
-shooters like Shamet + JJ need to be prioritized

— David Esser (@DavidEsser_) August 23, 2020

Atlanta have young talent to swoop in, but they just traded for Clint Capela. A reunion with Jimmy Butler in Miami is an easy place to link Embiid with, though the Heat are desperate to have cap space for the 2021 offseason and have their franchise center in place.

Brooklyn, hunting a third star to join Kevin Durant, could be lured into an Embiid trade. Aside from Joe Harris, the Nets aren’t loaded with shooters, which the Sixers would want in any trade for Embiid or Simmons. Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie could be included, but they are both more ball-handler than catch-and-shoot snipers.

Trades Very Unlikely

Per Tim Bontemps, the Sixers’ net rating with Embiid and Simmons together has dropped in each of the last two seasons. They were unstoppable two years ago, very good last season and only okay this year.

While there are concerns about the lack of improvement from both players, they have not got worse over that period. The coach didn’t change. The rest of the roster has faced significant turnover.

If the right players are around them, Simmons and Embiid can work. The Sixers’ front office must know that. Their priority for this offseason must be shooting, and finding players like JJ Redick, Dario Saric and Robert Covington without losing Simmons or Embiid.

If they are unable to move Tobias Harris and/or Al Horford, the Sixers might then be forced into considering a Simmons or Embiid trade to improve the roster. That has to the very last resort.

Of course, this could all change if either of them hand in a trade request.