Deciding how to utilize Ben Simmons should be atop the Sixers’ to-do list

Figuring out how Ben Simmons fits in should be on top of the 76ers’ off-season to-do list.

That’s bigger than the Houston Rockets’ wanting to acquire Jimmy Butler in a sign-and-trade after free agency begins at 6 p.m. Sunday. It’s bigger than determining how much the Sixers will have to pay to re-sign Tobias Harris.

Harris and Butler, the Sixers’ starting forwards, will be among the league’s top 10 most sought-after free agents.

Simmons will be in line to receive up to a five-year extension that starts during the 2020-21 season. That extension is expected to put the team in luxury-tax territory.

But the Sixers must decide whether Simmons, 22, will remain a point guard or is better suited to be a point forward. The 6-foot-10, 220-pounder played the latter position during his lone season at LSU in 2015-16.

The Sixers converted the 2016 first overall draft pick into a point guard. After missing the entire 2016-17 season, he was named 2018 rookie of the year and garnered his first All-Star appearance this past season.

Simmons is a triple-double machine and one of the NBA’s young superstars, so extending his contract is an easy decision for the ownership group and front office. He could receive a maximum-salary extension of $168.2 million over five seasons, which could rise to $201.8 million if he makes an All-NBA team next season.

However, some NBA executives aren’t sold on his being a point guard. They view Simmons as a point forward, such as former NBA player Lamar Odom or Golden State Warriors three-time All-Star Draymond Green.

Point forward was essentially the position he played in the postseason, especially in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Toronto Raptors. Butler was the team’s primary ballhandler. Simmons set up underneath the basket. As a result, he wasn’t heavily involved in the offense for much of that series. His primary role was defending Kawhi Leonard, whose shot at the buzzer in Game 7 lifted Toronto and who went on to become the MVP of the NBA Finals.

Simmons had to fulfill that role because of his lackluster shooting and reluctance to shoot. Opponents backed away from him, and sometimes left him to help double-team another Sixer. Opponents also always went under screens while defending the pick-and-roll because they did not worry about Simmons’ three-point shooting.

This season, Simmons shot 70.1 percent at the rim and 38.5 percent from three feet and beyond. He missed his six three-point attempts. Simmons shot 60 percent from the foul line. That number dipped slightly to 57.5 percent in the playoffs.

What he lacked in shooting, he made up for with rebounding and pushing the pace in transition. But the Australia native still needs to develop with regards to running an offense, especially in the halfcourt.

If Simmons remains the Sixers’ long-term option at point guard, they cannot have people playing traditional positions alongside him. Simmons’ best backcourt mate must be someone who can be a co-ballhandler and a solid shooter, and be able to defend opposing point guards.

The Sixers will need additional shooters on the floor with him to create spacing, and someone to become the primary ballhandler late in games, as Butler did. With a career free throw percent of only 58.3, Simmons isn’t ideal with the ball down the stretch.

The Sixers also will need someone who can effectively run pick-and-rolls until his shooting improves.

The Sixers are serious about acquiring a backup point guard, but they’ll need a starter versatile enough to play alongside Simmons. That’s why Milwaukee Bucks restricted free agent Malcolm Brogdon is regarded as the perfect fit.

Unrestricted free agents Patrick Beverley (Los Angeles Clippers), Darren Collison (Indiana Pacers) and Cory Joseph (Indiana Pacers) are other solid options. At the end of the day, the Sixers could opt to do a sign-and-trade with Butler to the Miami Heat for point guard Goran Dragic.

To his credit, Simmons is spending time this summer in Los Angeles working out with renowned athletic trainer Chris Johnson.

The Sixers hope he’ll eventually become a complete player, but for now, they must acquire players to fit alongside him. If he doesn’t improve, the Sixers must decide whether it’s best to move him back to point forward.

Butler, who is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract before Saturday’s deadline and test free agency, is one of the Rockets’ main targets. ESPN reported Tuesday night they want to do a sign-and-trade for him. The Sixers would have to sign him to a four-year deal and trade him to Houston. To make the deal work, Sixers would have to take in two of the three salaries of Clint Capela ($14.9 million), Eric Gordon ($14.0 million) and P.J. Tucker ($8.3 million).

The Sixers could offer Butler a five-year, $189 million contract. They also could give the 29-year-old a four-year deal worth $146.5 million. He would make a maximum of $140 million over four years with the Rockets. ESPN reported that the Rockets would need a third team to get involved in a sign-and-trade deal.

The Heat would be another possible candidate for a sign-and-trade for Butler.

However, either sign-and-trade would basically destroy any chance for the Sixers to acquire Boston Celtics soon-to-be free-agent post player Al Horford.