Does Simmons-Brown Swap Make Sense?

Playing without Ben Simmons hasn’t fazed the Sixers, who are currently the NBA’s hottest team with six straight wins.

Now, according to The Athletic, Philadelphia is talking with Boston about a potential trade to finally ship out Simmons — and get back Celtics star Jaylen Brown.

While reports indicate little traction thus far, it would make sense both on the court and on the books.

• Simmons is slated to make $33 million this season; Brown roughly $25 million.
• Both teams’ luxury-tax payrolls hover around $142.9 million and are each only $6.3 million over the threshold.
• The Sixers would get the win-now player they’ve sought since the Simmons holdout began.
• The Celtics would get a star point guard — a void they’ve yet to fill since Kyrie Irving left in 2019.

If they came to an agreement, the Sixers (8-2) would likely have to add more to compensate for the $8 million difference and Simmons’ ongoing antics during his dramatic holdout.

The struggling Celtics (4-6) recently held a players-only meeting after Marcus Smart called out Jayson Tatum and Brown. Pairing the defensive-minded Smart with Simmons could be the missing piece.

Meanwhile, adding Brown to a lineup with Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris could form a lethal Big Three in the East.