Lakers Are a Prime Landing Spot for 3x All-Star

The Los Angeles Lakers may be the perfect landing spot for a talented player. LeBron James and Anthony Davis could really use a veteran on the field. How about Ben Simmons?

There have been several trade rumors surrounding Simmons and LA. The Philadelphia SIxers star has been criticized for quite some time. His team struggled in the second round of the playoffs. Head coach Doc Rivers hinted a trade and Max Kellerman from ESPN believes that the Lakers are a good fit for Simmons.

“So, where could he go to get fixed?” Kellerman asked on First Take. “Magic [Johnson] was on the show yesterday, and I was saying, ‘Which coach could fix him?’ And Magic was talking about a veteran player. Well, who’s his agent? Rich Paul, Klutch Sports, right? Where might they be able to swing a trade, especially now that he’s so devalued? The Lakers, maybe it’s LeBron James whose game Simmons resembles in certain ways, in many ways in fact. Maybe that’s where he has to go to get the proper kind of veteran guidance with a chance to win and a franchise where maybe he eventually gets the keys. I think he’s fixable, guys. It cannot occur in Philadelphia.”

Watch Kellerman talking about the Lakers’ trade for Simmons.

.@maxkellerman thinks Ben Simmons would fit with the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/hFBA6UL6ud

— First Take (@FirstTake) June 22, 2021

The Lakers are the best landing spot for Simmons

Simmons and LeBron are really great friends. They are connected through Klutch Sports. LA finished the season with six players who are represented by the agency. Simmons had some struggles on the floor, but LeBron has nothing but great words for the veteran.

In 2017, LeBron told Simmons that he can be better than him. Of course, he “can’t skip steps.”

In the same 2017 Sports Illustrated story, Simmons said he and LeBron are brothers. Being close to LeBron is an “amazing feeling.”

“We’re definitely brothers,” Simmons noted, per Sports Illustrated. “I got a lot of respect for him, just coming through college, high school. Looking up to him and then being able to compete against somebody like that — and me progressing my game to playing [at] the same level [as LeBron] and compete with the best — it’s an amazing feeling.”

Simmons struggled from the free-throw line against the Atlanta Hawks. He shot just 33.3% in the series. The Sixers guard passed up numerous open looks in the postseason.