2021 NBA off-season: 5 point guards likely to be on the move
As the 2021 NBA Finals wind to a close, the 28 other teams are busy with their off-season goals to prepare for the next NBA season.
Point guards have been some of the most sought-after players in recent years, and several teams are aiming to upgrade their rosters in that position this summer. A year ago, the 2021 NBA free agency class looked loaded. But since then, several players have signed extensions with their teams, taking themselves off the market in the process.
Which NBA point guards will likely play for new teams next season?
This off-season, the LA Lakers have been linked with several point guards like Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyle Lowry, among others. Big names like Damian Lillard, Mike Conley, Goran Dragic, Lonzo Ball, Cameron Payne, Collin Sexton and several other point guards are also in the market to look out for.
Almost every team needs a primary ball-handler and facilitator, so teams will jump at the opportunity to get a good point guard this off-season. On that note, here's a look at five point guards likely to move in the 2021 off-season.
#1 Spencer Dinwiddie
Spencer Dinwiddie has proclaimed himself to be the best free-agent point guard this off=season. He tore his ACL after playing just three games for the Brooklyn Nets in the 2020-21 NBA season and was sidelined for the entire year.
He never saw any playing time with the new superteam of James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Blake Griffin and Kevin Durant. Dinwiddie is now considering moving to a new team because he is unlikely to get any playing time with the Nets, and the team also cannot afford to make any big deals.
Dinwiddie opted out of his player option, which fuelled rumors that he would move to another team and demand a 5-year $196-million deal. He has, however, alluded to the possibility of returning to the Brooklyn Nets if they make him a decent offer.
But it does seem likely he will move to a new team. Spencer Dinwiddie averaged nearly 20 points per game before his injury, something he might not get with the Nets.
#2 Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons' performances in the NBA Eastern Conference semi-finals were a key storyline in the ongoing 2021 NBA playoffs.
The Atlanta Hawks deployed the 'Hack-a-Simmons' strategy, and his struggles at the free-throw line wrecked his series. He was visibly afraid to hold the ball, fearing he could get fouled, and that limited his production.
Joel Embiid was evidently frustrated with his co-star, and even Simmons' coach Doc Rivers subtly blamed the player for his team's loss. Rivers was asked if Ben Simmons could be a point guard for an NBA championship team, to which he replied that he is unsure.
Ben Simmons-related trade rumors instantly started flooding as the 76ers are reportedly looking to trade him. LA Lakers legend Magic Johnson weighed in on the Simmons situation, saying:
"Ben...It's time for a change because he can't recover from this. The locker room won't recover from it...Yeah, he's got to be somewhere else. The locker room and the fans (is over with, people can't trust him). It's over. It's over. You can't recover from this"
Simmons has already been linked with the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers in NBA trade rumors, and it does seem like Ben Simmons would play for a new team next season.
Also Read: "Ben Simmons can't recover from this": Is Magic Johnson's criticism of the Philadelphia 76ers point guard justified or a knee-jerk reaction?