76ers shouldn’t regret not trading Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid for Kawhi Leonard

Despite how great Kawhi Leonard has been in the postseason, the Philadelphia 76ers were better off hanging on to both Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid last summer.

Around this time last year following their embarrassing loss in the semifinals to the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers were trying to figure out a way to add another superstar in the offseason to play alongside Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

To say Simmons and Embiid exceeded all expectations during their first full season of action together would be a huge understatement since most basketball experts figured the Sixers would compete for the No. 7 or No. 8 seed at best in the Eastern Conference.

Instead, Philadelphia worked their way into winning 52 games during the 2018-19 season, showing just how bright the future was going to be in the City of Brotherly Love.

However, when looking at how stacked the rest of the Eastern Conference was with other teams such as the Celtics or Toronto Raptors loaded with talent as well, it was clear the Sixers would need another superstar to play alongside Simmons and Embiid.

Otherwise, it would seem difficult for Philadelphia to be considered a top contender in the Eastern Conference since that semifinals series against Boston made it clear Simmons and Embiid couldn’t do it alone.

That’s where Kawhi Leonard comes into play, as the star forward has proven all the doubters wrong this postseason when it comes to being able to stay healthy by leading the Raptors to their first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history.

What Leonard has accomplished in the playoffs has been truly amazing to witness when seeing how he’s found a way to elevate his game to new levels.

And while some Sixers fans can’t help but wonder what could have been in Philadelphia since the interest was there last summer, the decision to pass on Leonard was the right one for the long run.

For starters, there’s no guarantee that Philadelphia would be preparing for a NBA Finals battle with the Golden State Warriors if Leonard were part of the picture because it should be a reminder that San Antonio was originally hoping Simmons or Embiid would be part of the deal.

Since the Spurs were already one of the top contenders in the Western Conference, it’s easy to understand why they would want a superstar in return if they were giving up a superstar of their own, but as everyone knows, this never happened for the Sixers.

Looking back, there’s no question that Leonard would have been a great addition for Philadelphia since his talent alone is undeniable, but also keep in mind there’s no guarantee that he would even stick around beyond this season.

As much as the Raptors hope to re-sign Leonard for the long run, even they know that nothing is guaranteed once free agency approaches later this summer since there’s always the chance he’ll want to join another team, with the Los Angeles Lakers immediately coming to mind.

So while it certainly would have been great for the Sixers to land Leonard last summer, the team was smart enough to know the importance of Simmons and Embiid for the long run.

Yes, there have been plenty of ups and downs over the last two seasons in regards to Philadelphia failing to reach the Eastern Conference Finals despite all of the talent to work with, but also keep in mind Simmons and Embiid are still young.

With the potential displayed over the last two seasons, it doesn’t matter how great Leonard has looked over the last two months in the playoffs because in the long run, the Sixers will be much better off with Simmons and Embiid.

Plus, if Leonard does somehow end up leaving Toronto this summer after only one season, it will only make Philadelphia look that much smarter over their decision from a year ago to not even consider the possibility of trading Simmons or Embiid.