Third Wheel: How the Cavs could be part of a Ben Simmons trade

How Cavs could be part of a Ben Simmons trade: Salary Relief

The Philadelphia 76ers are at least a little interested in acquiring James Harden this offseason. While Harden is a free agent, the Sixers have way too much money committed for next season to sign Harden outright, so they will need to execute a sign-and-trade or something similar.

Unless the Brooklyn Nets are interested in both Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris the 76ers need to find a different path to matching salary. If they make a Simmons trade now and include Harris, they can look to get back a combination of movable contracts and expiring deals, which can combine to make the context needed to add Harden this summer.

Perhaps that means the Cavs taking a small asset to include Rubio in the deal, or taking on a contract for next season. Rubio is on an expiring contract, and the Sixers can execute a sign-and-trade to send him to Brooklyn or let him walk to clear cap space.

Collin Sexton is a much more valuable piece, but is likewise technically a free agent this summer. For the right amount of value, the Cavs could include him in a deal heading to Philly, who then executes a sign-and-trade to send Sexton elsewhere this summer. Could you imagine Sexton ending up on the Nets and playing alongside Kyrie Irving in the backcourt, the two most polarizing Cavaliers guards of the past decade?

The Cavs are not flush with expiring deals, nor are they currently under the salary cap, so they aren’t a major player in this category. Yet Rubio is a substantial expiring deal that could be an important piece in a three-or-four team Simmons deal.