On the Runnin’ Plays podcast, Chris Mullin and Grant Liffmann discussed Ben Simmons vs Joel Embiid for the Warriors and if a small ball team could work.
It's probably going to be a very busy next couple of months for the Philadelphia 76ers, who still need to hire a head coach after firing Brett Brown on Aug. 24.
Former Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni is a top candidate for the opening, league sources told The New York Times' Marc Stein on Wednesday afternoon.
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And NBA reporter Keith Smith tweeted a very interesting piece of information a couple of hours before Stein's report.
This is where the Warriors could come into play.
There has been plenty of speculation that Golden State could look to acquire Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid this offseason. And if D'Antoni tells 76ers management he only will accept the job if the franchise trades one of their star players (perhaps he specifies which one), then maybe a trade comes to fruition.
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The Warriors possess a couple valuable draft picks -- the No. 2 overall selection this November, and the Minnesota Timberwolves' top-three protected first-rounder in 2021 (which becomes unprotected in 2022) -- which could be enticing.
Then again, Philly might refuse to trade either Embiid or Simmons, and look to unload Tobias Harris and/or Al Horford.
“I’m not looking to trade Ben or Joel,” 76ers general manager Elton Brand said a month ago. “I’m looking to complement them better. They’re 24 and 26 years old, respectively. You try to make that fit as long as you can.
"They want to be here, they want to be with our organization, and I see them here for a long, long time.”
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But things can change very quickly in the NBA, and anything can happen. The Warriors are in a great position to be able to strike at a moment's notice, and it's very safe to assume they are monitoring what's happening in the "City of Brotherly Love."
The Dubs traded Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III to the 76ers just before the trade deadline back in February. Is it possible that Golden State GM Bob Myers and Brand strike another deal before the calendar turns to 2021?
We shall see soon enough.