There are some big names on the move in the NBA so far in this offseason. And of course, the biggest name of all – – LeBron James – – will ponder his options for a while before selecting the fan base who will then be expected to adore him for the next year or two. [Aside: Is LeBron James the Aaron Rodgers of the NBA or is Aaron Rodgers the LeBron James of the NFL?] Let’s review the bidding:
- Bucks traded Giannis to the Heat for 4 players and 4 first-round picks. On the assumption that Giannis’ injury from last season was an aberration and that he can mesh well with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Hero, that trade should make the Heat a serious contender in the NBA East.
- Grizzlies traded Ja Morant to the Blazers for Kris Murray and Jerami Grant. Morant looked at one time to be a rising superstar in the league; off-court behaviors and injuries changed that perception. From the Grizzlies perspective, this trade looks as if they have given up having to deal with an infant terrible.
- Hornets traded LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves for Naz Reed and a basketful of picks and pick swaps that extend all the way out to 2033. My sense is that the Hornets have decided to rebuild and that made this trade thinkable.
- Hornets traded Miles Bridges to the Suns along with a 2029 first round pick and got back Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale plus a first round pick in 2033. This solidifies my sense that the Hornets are in rebuilding mode.
- Celtics traded Jaylen Brown to the Sixers in exchange for Paul George and two first round picks plus two second round picks. I have no idea how or why the Celtics made this trade, but I have learned not to second-guess Celtics’ GM, Brad Stevens.
These big name moves – along with several much less dramatic roster alterations – have created a lot of buzz around the NBA for the last week or two. And there is one other story floating around out there that could create more hyperactivity on the Internet.
- Ben Simmons says he is ready to return to the NBA.
In case you have forgotten, Simmons was the overall #1 pick in the NBA Draft by the Sixers in 2016. Let’s just say that his time in Philly was tumultuous and that he was traded to the Net and then to the Clippers without coming close to the star status that one might expect from an overall #1 pick. Simmons showed defensive skills and excellent passing skills in his previous encounter with the NBA, but he almost refused to shoot the basketball, and offense is a critical element of NBA basketball.
Simmons asserts that he has exorcised the demons that clouded his previous times in the league and sort of like Richard Nixon during his return to politics in the 1960s, Simmons has pronounced himself as rested and ready. Here is what he said in an interview with Men’s Health magazine:
“I plan on getting as strong as I can physically, getting my ass on the court, and then the team realizing that my abilities will be needed. … You can’t teach 6’ 10” and IQ.”
He’s right, you know. Neither size nor intellect can be taught. And in that final statement, Simmons plants the seeds of doubt for his return. When he was previously in the league and disappointing coaches and fans from Philly to LA, he was then 6’ 10” and had his same IQ. It didn’t all work out for the best then; might it work out better now? Teams will have to decide on the likelihood of that outcome in 2026 and going forward.
My assessment of Ben Simmons is that he had/has some prodigious talents that he wasted in his early years by spending way too much time cultivating celebrity status and not working on the deficiencies in his basketball game. Simmons can declare himself a changed person, but it will be the assessment(s) of various NBA GMs and coaches that decide if a team will be willing to give him a landing spot for his return to the league.
Moving on … I want to pose a question here. The NBA has had a problem with teams tanking seasons as a strategy for becoming a contending team down the road. The league has wrestled with “fixes” for that strategic behavior over the years; while nothing has been a perfect cure for the “tanking problem”, the NBA has acknowledged it and tried to make it better. With that as a backdrop, think about this:
- When MLB teams “sell off” their best players at the trade deadline, isn’t that a “tanking strategy” that could cast doubt on the integrity of MLB games?
You make the call …
Finally, this from Mel Brooks:
“Bad taste is simply saying the truth before it should be said.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………