Trade Proposal Sends Austin Reaves, Ben Simmons To Warriors

One NBA insider proposed a trade where the Golden State Warriors acquire Austin Reaves and Ben Simmons. 

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report proposed the following mock trade between the Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons. 

Lakers get: Stephen Curry, Day’Ron Sharpe, Wendell Moore Jr., $3.9 million trade exception (Jalen Hood-Schifino)

Warriors get: Austin Reaves (via Lakers), Ben Simmons (via Brooklyn Nets), 2029 unprotected first-rounder (via Lakers), 2031 unprotected first-rounder (via Lakers), $2.4 million trade exception (Curry)

Nets get: D’Angelo Russell (via Lakers), Rui Hachimura (via Lakers), Gabe Vincent (via Lakers), Jalen Hood-Schifino (via Lakers), $23.3 million trade exception (Simmons), $2.0 million trade exception (Dennis Schröder)

Pistons get: Dennis Schröder (via Nets), Christian Wood (via Lakers), 2025 LA Clippers second-rounder (via Lakers), 2025 Miami Heat second-rounder (38-59, via Nets), $4 million (via Lakers)

“Make no mistake, this starts and stops with Curry making the request and the Warriors acquiescing (never mind the complex logistics of getting four teams to agree to a trade),” Pincus wrote in his NBA trade proposal. “That said, the Warriors get two unprotected firsts from the Lakers well after LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Curry’s contracts have expired. Will L.A. be able to rebuild quickly? That’s the gamble, but the key for Golden State might be removing protections.

“Additionally, Reaves gives the Warriors a well-priced guard to pair with Brandin Podziemski. The Warriors take on Simmons as a large, expiring contract, enabling up to about $52 million in cap space next summer—likely more than any other franchise. That number drops considerably with the cap holds of Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, but the Warriors gain flexibility.

“The Warriors can rely on veterans like Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, Gary Payton II, Simmons and others (like Melton, Hield and Anderson) to try to compete or be used as trade bait before the February deadline. Golden State has made the playoffs in just two of the last five years (albeit with a title in 2021-22)—it’s not like the franchise is giving up on a perpetual contender.”

Reaves averaged 15.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.3 blocks in 2023-24 for the Lakers while shooting 48.6% from the field, 36.7% from beyond the arc and 85.3% from the free-throw line. He played in all 82 games. 

Los Angeles signed Reaves to a four-year, $53 million contract last July in restricted free agency. The guard will make $12.9 million next season. 

Simmons appeared in only 15 games in 2023-24 for the Nets. He averaged 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks while shooting 58.1% from the field and 40.0% from the free-throw line. 

Simmons was the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He’s made three All-Star teams, two All-Defensive teams and one All-NBA team. 

Simmons signed a five-year, $177 million extension with the Philadelphia 76ers in July 2019. He’s only played in 172 games with the Sixers and Nets since signing that deal.

The Nets acquired Simmons from the Sixers in the James Harden trade in February 2022. Simmons has played in just 57 games with Brooklyn.