Atlanta Hawks: 5 reasons to pass on pursuing Ben Simmons

Reason the Atlanta Hawks should pass on Simmons No.1: Committing to John Collins locks up power forward

Simmons obviously wouldn’t play point guard on this team. That means his next logical position would be at power forward. In all fairness, a deal to acquire Simmons would have made sense before John Collins re-signed. The 6-foot-9 forward was one of only two players to average at least 17.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game last season.

The other was Kevin Durant.

His new pact, worth up to $125 million with a fifth-year option, not only means he’s locked in until at least 2025, but also that he can’t be traded until January.

That is a long time. While anything could happen to make sentiments go one way or the other, it’s hard to see enough happening to sway opinion in favor of parting with an original member of the rebuild and a key component of last season’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

At least not for a player going through the kind of self-inflicted turmoil Simmons is.

He did average 14.3/7.2/6.9 last season and would be an added lob threat. But without the ball in his hands, and lacking any sort of outside game, Simmons instantly becomes a roadblock to Young’s trips to the rim for his lethal floater.

Aside from opening the lane for Young, part of what makes the Hawks current big man configuration work is Collins’ ability to shoot while his center does the dirty work; and very well too. Adding Simmons hurts not one but two players and, thus, the entire team. We’re already getting into more trouble than it’s worth territory.