In the midst of numerous trade rumors, 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons was ranked the NBA’s best defender in an anonymous coaches poll. The poll was conducted by Jon Krawczynski and Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Simmons was one of the finalists for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award this season but lost to Utah’s Rudy Gobert.

Of the 13 possible first-place votes, Simmons received seven, with Gobert receiving just five. Golden State’s Draymond Green was the only other player to receive a first-place vote. These three players were all finalists for the award this past season. According to several reports, Ben Simmons has been widely shopped this offseason, with a trade expected to come before the start of the season. 

Ben’s elite ability to guard any position in the league is what makes him such a valuable asset to any franchise, and he can elevate the players around him on defense. Unfortunately, his setbacks on offense are what scares so many teams away from offering a lucrative package for Simmons. Philly’s offseason is ramping up later today with the start of free agency.

Mandatory Credit: Philadelphia Inquirer