NUGGETS:
PG- Simmons
SG- Barton
SF- MPJ
PF- Gordon
C- Jokic
Depth: Morris, Rivers, Thybulle, Je. Green, Ja. Green, Campazzo, Bol Bol
Why they do this:
Nuggets basically replace offense with defense by swapping Murray with Simmons. Sure, Simmons is not as talented offensively as Murray, but he brings a whole new dimension defensively to a team that is already strong offensively without Murray. He can serve as another playmaker next to Jokic , meaning Jokic doesnt have to take on the burden of BOTH playmaking and scoring. Plus, jokic and him are a pretty good fit, since Jokic can effectively space the floor and unlike Embiid has the playmaking ability to get Simmons easy looks. Could you imagine what a Jokic to Simmons lob can look like,or a Simmons to Gordon lob? Simmons driving to the paint would garner a lot of gravity from defenders and would leave guys like Barton, MPJ, Jokic, Jeff Green, etc. wide open from 3. I know they current outlook on Ben isnt too great, but when you think about it, he could really thrive in this situation and make the Nuggets and even better team than when they had Murray. Bens size gives them a defensive option against wings like Bron, Kawhi, and even some bigs like AD come playoff time, something they did not have an answer for previously.
Nuggets further bolster their defense by adding a young 3-D wing in Thybulle. Nuggets immediately become an elite defensive team while also having good offensive options/scorers as well.
Also, as a side note, we do not know how Murray will be when he returns from injury.
SIXERS:
PG- Murray
SG- Curry
SF- Korkmaz
PF- Harris
C- Embiid
Depth: Maxey, Milton, Green, Niang, Drummond
Why they do this:
The reason why Philly does this is obvious. They are desperate to get a star level player back for Simmons and this trade does that. Murray has routinely showed to be a big time playoff performer and can take some of the shot creating load off of Embiid. The downside is that Philly takes a step back defensively, but they have so many offensive options and adding Murray to a team that is already is 1st in offensive efficiency takes them over the top. Philly sees themselves back in the eastern conference mix with this trade.