The Sixers continue to discuss possible Ben Simmons trades with potential suitors, but sources with direct knowledge of the team’s thinking – and sources from rival clubs – believe Philadelphia still prefers to hang onto Simmons until the offseason in order to pursue James Harden or another star player, according to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic.
The Kings and Hawks are among the teams that have been most engaged with the 76ers as of late, with the Hornets also inquiring on Simmons, per The Athletic’s report. Philadelphia has asked Sacramento for a package that includes Tyrese Haliburton and multiple first-round picks, and wants John Collins and multiple first-rounders from Atlanta, according to Charania and Amick, who hear that the Sixers would also want the Hawks to take on Tobias Harris‘ pricey contract.
None of those scenarios have generated serious traction, and team officials in Sacramento and Atlanta are skeptical that the Sixers will lower their asking price for Simmons much – if at all – by the February 10 trade deadline, according to The Athletic’s duo.
Sources tell Charania and Amick that 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has the full support of ownership to extend the Simmons sweepstakes into the offseason. Although Philadelphia obviously doesn’t want to waste an MVP-caliber season from Joel Embiid, the club is more concerned about not squandering its top trade chip in Simmons by settling for one of the offers currently on the table. There’s a belief those offers will still be available in the summer, and there could be better options for Philadelphia at that point, Charania and Amick say.
“There’s no sense of panic (to do a deal before the deadline),” a source with knowledge of the Sixers’ thinking told The Athletic.
Here’s more on the Simmons situation:
- The Sixers have explored deals that would be centered around players like Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, Pacers center Domantas Sabonis, and Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, but felt those players weren’t “championship-altering, perfect fits” for their roster, according to Charania and Amick.
- When the Rockets traded Harden to the Nets a year ago, the Sixers were a serious contender for the star guard, having offered Simmons, Matisse Thybulle, and two first-round picks, per The Athletic. During the Rockets’ decision-making process, owner Tilman Fertitta asked Harden whether he preferred to go to Brooklyn or Philadelphia, and Harden chose Brooklyn. It’s unclear if Houston would’ve taken the Sixers’ deal if Harden preferred Philadelphia, according to Charania and Amick, who hear from sources that the Rockets liked the Nets’ proposal more.
- Although Harden chose Brooklyn over Philadelphia last year, sources tell The Athletic that Morey is optimistic about his chances of landing the former MVP in the offseason and believes Harden views the Sixers’ situation “in a positive light.” Philadelphia’s cap situation would make an offseason sign-and-trade acquisition of Harden challenging (even if the Nets were interested in Simmons), but not impossible.
One tires of Simmons this and Simmons that, the whole scenario is a disgrace to the entire NBA establishment!
Settle down karen.
sick burn…
Who is Karen?
Championship altering…
Exactly how many championships does Harden have to date?
2. He has one “almost” and one “if.”
Almost with the rockets and then if with the Nets (if they hadn’t been hurt.)
He may not have a ring but he’s a former MVP 6 time all NBA 1st team amongst much more. None of the others mentioned will every have the career he’s had, or tip the scale more. he may never get a ring in his career but he’ll get in the HOF. Don’t knock a player for lacking a ring. Like Barkley, Nash, Stockton and many more, ring don’t make the player.
Do the 76ers honestly believe Harden would rather play with Embid over KD? They are really kidding theirselves.
The asking price is still sky high
That’s crazy they think a guy like Sabonis or Siakam still aint good enough value. They’re gonna wait this out till the summer for a shot at Harden/Beal/Brown.
In a vacuum they are, but I agree that those fits would not be great for them.
They are going to do a deal at the deadline, but with them continuing to win, it looks less like a necessity to move Simmons in a hurry, so we will wait, offers will increase, and when it’s right- he will accept it. Winding up with Jaylen Browm, John Collins,and a 3rd player w/PHI giving up Ben, Tobias,D.Green,I.Joe, J.Springer, and a 1st rd pick. Or Simmons, Harris, Joe, & Milton for either Fox, Hield , Barnes, Bagley and 2 unprotected 1sts days before the deadline so that the 76ers can move Hield,Bagley and a 1st to ATL for Collins and Huerter- then trade D.Fox, T.Harris,Springer,& Bassey for Jaylen Brown,& M.Smart
I bet it’s a deal to Sacramento in the end which isn’t bad if they can get fox and Halliburton . Stuff about harden is just to increase Simmons offers.
#1 you would not get Both Haliburton & Fox in a trade. Maybe one or the other but NOT both. Simmons is Not the Great Super Star everyone is making him out to be anyways and Philly’s asking price is way way, too high !!
Still can’t believe he’s willing to pass up 29 mil because of hurt feelings.
Is he not being paid? I thought he had mental health issues.
I’m hoping for a 3 team deal headlined by Haliburton & Collins (obviously with other players & picks) going to Philly while unloading Harris along with Simmons. I don’t see a situation where a team is going to take on both of them.
As far as guys like Siakam & Sabonis, they simply don’t fit while Tobi is still on the roster.
I would love to see the pretzel logic trade proposal that nets Philly Collins and Haliburton for Simmons and Harris…
So you want to dump Simmons and ‘unload’ Harris and you want Haliburton and Collins in return? Doesn’t seem all that realistic.
This is postering. Or maybe the Sixers are this stupid. We will soon find out.
Sabonis and siakim are not fits at all here. I think in the end a deal around fox and hield. But I agree some of these deal rejections allegedly by Morey are absurd. I think the nba is pressuring the sixers here to make a point with Simmons and you can bet the next cba will adjust for that. Rich Paul saying Simmons can be ready in three weeks if traded just shows the mental health angle is a joke. He’s scared of his teammates and fans.
I would say that if one were “scared” of the fans and their teammates playing on that team would not bode well for one’s mental health.
I believe the word you are searching for in your lexicon is “posturing” (behavior that is intended to impress or mislead), which makes this an ironic comment about the relative stupidity of the Sixers’ front office.
They could be printing up thousands of ‘Simmons for Harden’ posters, you don’t know.
Yes, indeed. My phone changing this, clearly leads to the assumption of my stupidity. Thank you clearing that up. grammar police. If you defend the Sixers front office in this situation…well. I’ll just leave that alone.
And my phone again.
Postering? Like what Kyle Kuzma did to Embiid last week?
Kinda of like what Embiid has done in his career compared to kuzma? Every player gets postered at one time or another.
Something I’m curious about that nobody has reported on yet … what does Simmons’ game look like now? He’s had a ton of down time. Does his “mental health issues” mean he is privately improving his skills with a coaching team (such as being one of the worst outside and free throw shooters in the game)? Or does that inflict damage on his psyche and he is instead watching episodes of Maury on the couch?
He’s icing his neck from all the SMH-ing.
From reports I’ve read Simmons is participating in drills and practice just not playing in games.
How awkward is that?? Does he have his own fisher price basket in the corner with a juice box?? Every time I hear this that’s exactly what I picture.
IMHO I think the Sixers would be better served if they make a deal sooner rather than later and take a player like Fox and draft picks, and if not completely satisfied, flip him for what would satisfy them while moving Harris along with some of those picks to a willing team at the bottom that has cap space looking for picks. Right now the Sixers and their pride is getting in the way of progress and what seems to be a great season by their center. Time to move on from this and make lemonade.
I Hope Philly loses and Embiid gets pissed and demands a trade. would be funny af seeing morey look like a clown for asking for the world for a dude who’s barely an all star. he acts like Ben is KD
IMO
Off-season
Simmons, a player and two Firsts for healthy Harden
5% chance
The standings in East are crazy competitive right now. Over the course of 2-3 days you could go from 6th seed to being the 1st seed. I’m not a Philly fan (I’m a Mavs fan) but if I were Philly, I trade Simmons now and push for that 1st seed, it seems like this year in East, any team has a chance to make it to finals. Trade simmons for Fox or maybe trade for Embiids best friend Wiggins. I don’t think john collins and embiid will be great teammates. Esp after collins dunking on embiid in last year playoffs and getting a shirt of that dunk
How many months have to pass before “mental health issues” can be rightly called out as a last ditch effort to get paid to sit at home? Do the sixers not think that the rest of the league might be more than a little hesitant to give up the farm for a guy who’s quite literally afraid to play basketball? The sad part about this is that they’ll get Brad Beal and the Latvian Lazer from the Wiz
Is Morey really so dumb that he is willing to throw away one of the best seasons EVER by a 76er to maximize Simmon’s value? Embiid has not proven to be the sturdiest player in the league and if they simply say we are going to stand pat and wait until the summer, Morey should be fired for malpractice. Sure, wait for the summer and cross fingers that Embiid does not look more and more like a geriatric (some days he looks like he’s 27 going on 55) after another season of pounding.
And what is all this talk about Harden? What makes anyone think he’d want to step into the Philly mess when he’s on a heck of a team in Brooklyn?
This won’t get to the offseason. Silver is not gonna let that happen, just as Stern wasn’t gonna let Jimmy Jackson (longest rookie holdout in nba history – still) go back into the ’93 draft after goin #4 overall in ’92.
I think Simmons will be traded before the deadline. Morey is just playing a game of Chicken right now.
Nets could ( morey definitely would if the roles where reversed) eliminate the sixers as a threat for harden by just saying they will never consider a sign and trade ! Dare him to sign with sixers for the mini mid level or sign with one of the other four teams with cap space this off season none of which are major markets unless he wants to go back to Houston lol
Philly GM’s ego is way too huge. The only reason he’s not making a trade is just because he doesn’t want to ever have said about him that he didn’t get enough, or he got taken in a trade Etc.
His ego and not wanting to look bad is hurting the team. Putting himself first ahead of the franchise and the good of the team. That is a very bad situation.
I have a hard time believing that the Sixers’ offers or trade potential for Simmons will be better in the offseason after he’s had an entire season away from the NBA court.
The issue is that a decade ago Morey threw out a ludicrous trade offer for Harden and it was accepted. This is how he treats every trade opportunity now, by throwing out laughable suggestions in hopes one gets accepted again
Bold Prediction: Harden is just a smoke screen. They will trade Ben Simmons for (4) 1sts and a player. Don’t care who they trade him to, preferrably it’s a team with a terrible record like the Pelicans or Kings or whatever and no protections on the picks.
They’ll then target the best potentially available 25 Y.O or under to pair with Embiid: Donovan Mitchell.
Sixers flip those (4) 1sts plus (2) of their own 1sts, (2) 2nds, Tobias Harris, Thybulle, Springer, and Shake for Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gay, and Royce O’Neale.
Embiid
O’Neale
Gay
Mitchell
Maxey
Bench:
Curry, Furkan, Drummond, Niang, Daniel, and players XYZ from the Simmons trade.
I don’t know what you are smoking, but Simmons isn’t worth 2 1st rd Picks little more than 4 and a Star Player !! He is way, way overrated !!
Never said “Star player” for Simmons. He may be, and before the season several have him ranked ahead of Mitchell as best under 25 yrs old. I doubt people in the league value him as little as you do.
But I digress, the player or players they get for Simmons just has to be for salary the picks in my scenario are the key. I.e Lamb and Warren who hasn’t played all year, and some filler for Simmons plus a hoard of unprotected picks are gold for another GM.
Also, any GM that turned down 6 1sts would be fired the same day
By now everyone just wants PHI to fail miserably, not even getting to the playoffs… & Embiid to do the decent thing & ask for a trade!
That would be the best outcome of the season, so teams learn a lesson about blackmailing players, it just ain’t right!
Blackmailing? Man you gotta be just trolling now. That’s not even the definition of blackmail. He isn’t showing up to play under his contract and made up a mental condition to try and get his salary for nothing. Money for nothing and chicks for free.
Let me introduce you to Always Wrong El Don. Worst takes in the history of Hoops rumors, and the fastest “self thumb up” ever recorded.
#FreeBenSimmons
Morey has botched this entire situation. Send his a$$ to Brooklyn for Kyrie
Problem solved
I’ll never be able to respect Simmons the same way I used to after this. I love his game and I think it’s been very under-appreciated. An example is how he defensively shut down Trey Young in the playoffs. His defensive prowess supersedes his lack of shooting capabilities. This holdout though, is weak. I can’t respect the mental illness narrative without any details about it. Seems to me like a total cop out. If Ben I’d having panic attacks and is diagnosed with anxiety disorder it should have come out by now. But as things stand right now … just seems like he’s being a baby about being booed and what his coach and Embid said about him. How can you love basketball and respect the game, and sit out all this time? It’s ridiculous. Imagine if I treated my wife and kids this way. The instance I feel under appreciated, I just quit on them and look for a new situation. Disgusting.
He better come out of this with an improved game. Since he’s not playing, if he’s really committed to being an nba star and earring that money he’s making … he should be putting up 500 free throws a day in the gym
If I’m the hawks and the sizers will take Collins I think I do it… ik there’s more but u can iron those thing out later on
I am a 76ers fan, and would love nothing more than for the 76ers to get that extra piece(s) needed for the 76ers to be a stronger contender for the NBA title this season. However, I’ve seen Okafor(3rd overall), Noel(7th, but would have been 1st if healthy),Fultz (1st overall, Inc.another 1st rd pick to get from 3rd to 1st), all dealt within a few years from when they were drafted, and the 76ers got almost nothing helpful in return. None of those players were near Simmons level of play, 3 straight all star seasons,and coming a season he finished 2nd in DPOY (should have been 1st). For the team to trade him for Tyrese Haliburton, Harrison Barnes, & 2 1st rd picks, doesn’t help the 76ers chances in 2022 all that much. Haliburton would join a backcourt of Maxey, Curry, S.Milton, Korkmaz and would come off the bench for a while at least, and Barnes would split time with Thybulle and D.Green. Now if the 76ers could somehow spin that into a way where they include Tobias Harris, and finish up with Jaylen Brown & another player(s)/pick(s), or John Collins, Harrison Barnes,Huerter and 2 1st rd picks, that may be worth it.
Bottom Line, if the team doesn’t get a return that will improve the teams chances by about 10% this year, then why move him at all?