CHANHASSEN, Minn. — It's a new dawn for Paisley Park. Tuesday, the long-suffering Rainmakers shed an ugly contract and collected an outstanding one. All it cost was a trio of draft picks and $17 million.
All-COMO guard Ben Simmons, who helped the Shorewood Show win a record 77 games in 2017-2018 and won a ring in 2018-2019, is now headed 5 minutes down the road to Chanhassen. In return, the Rainmakers are sending the Show their No. 17 overall pick in next Sunday's draft, as well as both their first- and second-round picks in 2020. Oh, and Paisley Park is untethering itself from the albatross that is DeMarcus Cousins' three-year deal ($17 million annually). It's a move that turns Paisley into an instant contender. The Rainmakers now have a pair of stars — Anthony Davis and Simmons — and some breathing room to bring in a third. "I still love Boogie," GM Brendan Halleron said, "but I took a 29-out-of-30 gamble he wouldn't be on the same [NBA] team as Davis. I lost on the 1-in-30 chance. I wish him all the best and hope he gets healthy, but I look forward to winning now with Simmons at the helm." Paisley has been one of COMO's most beleaguered frachises. The Rainmakers have only finished with one winning record in six seasons. Last summer's questionable pairing of Davis' and Cousins' long-term contracts only figured to lock the team into further turmoil. Suddenly, the winds have changed. There's Davis and Simmons. There's also likely No. 3 draftee R.J. Barrett, who should contribute immediately. Holdovers Jayson Tatum and Zach LaVine figure to score in bunches again. Oh, and last year's No. 2 overall pick, DeAndre Ayton, looks like a future All-COMO selection. Meanwhile, Shorewood has found a way to get return on Simmons, who was reportedly not in the team's future plans due to a complicated cap situation. Cousins will likely be cut this fall, but Paisley Park has agreed to pay the penalty for his 2021-2022 salary in that event, so Shorewood will only be on the hook for the next two seasons (perhaps the Show can find a suitor for Cousins in lieu of paying cash for his disappearance). Simmons arrived in Shorewood in summer 2017, following an injury-ruined season with Colorado. That season, he was the unanimous Rookie of the Year as the Show soared through the regular season with an unbelievable 77-5 record. While Shorewood lost to Newport Beach in the ensuing COMO Finals, the Show managed to claw back to the Finals this past April and upset the Minnesnowta Chill for their fourth championship. "Ben was an outstanding part of our organization for two seasons," GM Alex Smith said. "His work here was historic. And we'd love to keep him. But there was no wiggle room to make that happen." Despite losing Simmons, the Show will return two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, All-COMO stud Nikola Jokic and All-COMO Playoffs selection Devin Booker, among others. Shorewood figures to be a heavy favorite to win its fifth trophy next spring. It will likely need to slip past Simmons and Paisley Park to do so.
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