Phoenix Suns Help Send Ben Simmons to Toronto Raptors, get Precious Achiuwa
Within this deal, the Suns only work to alleviate some fiscal barriers between Simmons and a potential suitor, but get rewarded for their efforts with a tough depth piece able to contribute down on the block.
Averaging 8.0 points and 8.2 rebounds this year with a six-foot-eight, 225 pound frame, Precious Achiuwa comes to the Suns as a bruising offensive player and versatile defender, certain to fit well into Monty’s system.
The Suns then send Nader packing for Philadelphia, which does just enough to balance out the cap situation for both teams. But the Sixers’s main prizes come from up north, with former All-Star Goran Dragic and prospect Chris Boucher traveling down from Toronto.
With the Raptors seemingly trying to compete and rebuild at the same time, Dragic does not exactly fit their timeline. He remains a solid talent, but an aging one, who did not even want to play for the Raptors when initially traded there. But the Sixers want to win now, just like Dragic.
Convincing the Sixers to take him on as their replacement for Simmons will be challenging though, especially with Dragic only playing five games this year and Daryl Morey’s ludicrous asking price. That’s where Toronto’s draft pick comes in to cut away at that talent disparity.
But as the Sixers watch their season continue to fall apart, they likely feel more attracted to Dragic, and after all, he did help lead the Miami Heat to an NBA Finals just over one calendar year ago. A trio featuring Dragic, Joel Embiid, and Tobias Harris could certainly compete in the East if he plays above par.
Although undrafted, Boucher carries all the traits necessary to work as a stretch four, averaging 13.6 points per game last year with a heavier workload. He does nothing to hurt the Sixers, and makes for a better backup to Harris than anyone else on their roster.
After all that, the Raptors reel in Ben Simmons. Pairing him with Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet makes them a playoff team once again in the East, still built around young players like Scottie Barnes and OG Anunoby.
For a team that recently won an NBA championship, but took a downturn over the past two years, this deal puts the Raptors back into the limelight faster than anyone expected, while also leaving them better positioned than most to also compete in the future.