In a recently proposed mock trade, the San Antonio Spurs would trade for Ben Simmons.

The San Antonio Spurs are expected to go all-in on Victor Wembanyama this summer and add talent that will build them into a winner. They could be in the playoff hunt next season, ending the rebuild that was kicked off by the Kawhi Leonard trade.

The Spurs are not known for being fast, and they could opt to take their time with their rebuild. The Spurs could spend the offseason looking to add complimentary pieces that will help them win now, or they could take a back seat and work on building a cohesive roster for one more year.

In a mock trade proposed by Bleacher Report, the Spurs would trade Keldon Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets for Ben Simmons and two second-round picks.

Ben Simmons, Brooklyn Nets

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

While the trade looks incredibly foolish on the surface, there is some rationale that some fans would buy into. For starters, the Spurs would be more likely to land a top pick in the incredibly talented 2025 NBA Draft class, which would be paired with the pick they are owed from the Atlanta Hawks.

On top of that, Simmons is only 27 years old. Despite a massive career regression (he was a three-time All-Star!) there are some holdouts who think he can return to being a solid NBA player.

If he can, next season will be the year where he has to prove himself. If the Spurs swing this trade, they would owe Simmons roughly $40 million for a single season. After that, the Spurs would have cap space galore to add a free agent in 2025. Plus, in a contract year, Simmons might be incentivized to play.

While he is not a scorer by any definition of the word, he is a good defender and elite passer. If he can stay on the court, even with his total lack of scoring, he is a positive force who can impact the game on both ends of the floor. That being said, Johnson is included in trade rumors surrounding Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, both of whom fill very real needs on the Spurs’ roster.

If the Spurs are looking to trade Johnson, adding an established piece who does more than open some cap space should be the main priority.