By Connor Thomas
The NBA trade deadline is still months away, but there is a big date this week when it comes to the ability to trade certain NBA players. Coming up on December 15th, NBA players who signed contracts this offseason will officially be available to be included in trades, opening up significantly more options across the league to make moves happen. This, of course, includes the ongoing trade talks surrounding Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers have been methodical and patient in their approach to finding a trade partner for a Simmons deal, and this is one of the checkpoints that people have speculated that they’ve waited for. There’s no guarantee that the larger player pool will initiate a Simmons trade, but it does allow for more optionality, including with some of the teams that have already expressed interest in Philadelphia’s star point guard. Not only does this allow flexibility with the Simmons situation, but it frees up some interesting role players that could be part of ancillary moves for Daryl Morey and the Sixers. Here’s a full list of players across the NBA that will be available to be traded starting on December 15th:
Atlanta Hawks: Lou Williams, Gorgui Dieng, Solomon Hill
Boston Celtics: Dennis Schroeder, Enes Freedom
Brooklyn Nets: LaMarcus Aldridge, Patty Mills, DeAndre Bembry, Blake Griffin, James Johnson, Paul Millsap
Charlotte Hornets: Kelly Oubre, Ish Smith
Chicago Bulls: DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Javonte Green, Tony Bradley, Alize Johnson
Cleveland Cavaliers: Lauri Markkanen, Kevin Pangos
Dallas Mavericks: Tim Hardaway Jr., Reggie Bullock, Frank Ntilikina, Boban Marjanovic, Sterling Brown
Denver Nuggets: Will Barton, Jeff Green, JaMychal Green, Austin Rivers
Detroit Pistons: Kelly Olynyk, Cory Joseph, Frank Jackson, Trey Lyles, Saben Lee, Rodney McGruder
Golden State Warriors: Otto Porter, Nemanja Bjelica, Andre Iguodala
Houston Rockets: Daniel Theis
Indiana Pacers: Torrey Craig
Los Angeles Clippers: Nicolas Batum, Justise Winslow, Kawhi Leonard
Los Angeles Lakers: Carmelo Anthony, Malik Monk, Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, Wayne Ellington, Kent Bazemore, Rajon Rondo, Trevor Ariza, Kendrick Nunn
Miami Heat: Kyle Lowry, PJ Tucker, Dewayne Dedmon, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Markieff Morris, Omer Yurtseven, Udonis Haslem
Milwaukee Bucks: Bobby Portis, George Hill, Rodney Hood, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Semi Ojeleye
New Orleans Pelicans: Devonte Graham, Willy Hernangomez, Garrett Temple, Didi Louzada
New York Knicks: Alec Burks, Evan Fournier, Kemba Walker, Nerlens Noel, Taj Gibson
Oklahoma City Thunder: Mike Muscala
Orlando Magic: Robin Lopez, Moritz Wagner
Philadelphia 76ers: Andre Drummond, Georges Niang, Danny Green
Phoenix Suns: Chris Paul, Javale McGee, Frank Kaminsky, Elfrid Payton, Abdel Nader
Portland Trail Blazers: Cody Zeller, Ben McLemore, Tony Snell
Sacramento Kings: Alex Len, Maurice Harkless
San Antonio Spurs: Doug McDermott, Bryn Forbes, Keita Bates-Diop, Jock Landale
Toronto Raptors: Khem Birch, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Isaac Bonga
Utah Jazz: Mike Conley, Hassan Whiteside, Rudy Gay
Washington Wizards: Spencer Dinwiddie, Raul Neto
That’s a lot more players available to be traded, and opens more options for the Sixers for sure. It’s still hard to say what direction the Ben Simmons talks will go in, but some teams that have been reportedly interested have some new names now available to include. Dennis Schroeder could be a potential throw in from Boston in a Jaylen Brown deal. The Bulls are in solid position as is, but with DeRozan and Ball becoming available, they may kick the tires on Ben Simmons. Portland can now include Cody Zeller, Ben McLemore, or Tony Snell in any packages with CJ McCollum if they choose to do that. Not only are other teams more flexible, but the Sixers can also use Andre Drummond, Georges Niang, and Danny Green as trade chips. Drummond will likely stay, but Niang and Green are both possible inclusions in a Simmons trade or other smaller moves.
Speaking of smaller moves, the Sixers now have some interesting players to consider to bolster their bench even outside of a major trade involving Simmons. Lou Williams, Kelly Oubre, Lauri Markkanen, Kelly Olynyk, Mike Muscala, and Spencer Dinwiddie are all interesting options that could add bench depth or maybe even improve the starting lineup without costing a star caliber player in return. It’s less exciting, but could still help prop up the Sixers for the time being if a Simmons trade is even further down the line. Either way, December 15th marks another new opportunity to explore options for Ben Simmons’ new team, and a move that possibly turns the Sixers back into contenders.