Ben Simmons

Sixers To Pursue Harden Before Deadline; Nets Open To Talking

February 4th, 2022 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers are expected to pursue Nets star James Harden in the days leading up to the February 10 trade deadline, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports that Brooklyn is now believed to be open to discussing a possible deal.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said last week that the Nets wouldn’t consider moving Harden at the deadline, but Charania’s latest report suggests the team isn’t closing the door on the possibility. Sources tell Charania the 76ers and Nets are expected to engage in talks about Ben Simmons and Harden before next Thursday.

According to Charania, Nets officials don’t have any urgency to make a trade involving Harden and still view their roster as championship-caliber as is. However, if Philadelphia is willing to sweeten the deal by attaching more assets – including players like Seth Curry, Tyrese Maxey, and/or Matisse Thybulle – to Simmons, Brooklyn will listen, in case there’s a deal to be made that makes the team more well-rounded as it pursues a title.

As Charania explains, there have been some concerns in Brooklyn about Harden’s playing style, since the former MVP’s tendency to dominate the ball and play at his own pace contrasts with the more “free-flowing, organic” approach employed by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Head coach Steve Nash has met with the trio to try to find a balance and optimize the offense, per Charania, but the team has yet to hit its stride. Of course, that’s in part because the three stars are so rarely available at the same time.

Still, unless they have major concerns about the on-court fit and Harden’s flight risk in the offseason, the Nets seem unlikely to do anything drastic in the next six days. They’d want a “significant haul” from the Sixers, Charania writes.

Philadelphia has long been focused on landing a star in any Simmons deal, with Harden and Bradley Beal among the players at the top of their wish list. The expectation had been that a player of that caliber wouldn’t become available until the offseason, when both Harden and Beal can opt out of their respective deals.

The Sixers have projected a willingness to extend their standoff with Simmons until then, with Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com reporting today that a deadline deal involving the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up appears increasingly unlikely. If Harden is legitimately available ahead of the deadline though, or if the Wizards are willing to talk about Beal, that could accelerate Philadelphia’s timeline.

The 76ers also continue to discuss possible Simmons scenarios with other teams, according to Charania. Sources tell The Athletic that the Hawks have been the most engaged suitor in recent weeks, having discussed a framework that includes John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and draft picks.

The Timberwolves have also remained in touch with Philadelphia about Simmons and have been open to the idea of taking on Tobias Harris, says Charania. However, Minnesota isn’t willing to part with the draft assets the Sixers are seeking.

Windhorst/MacMahon’s Latest: Jazz, Pelicans, Fox, Mavs, Grizzlies

February 4th, 2022 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The relationship between Jazz stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell is back to being “passively aggressively awkward,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon stated in the latest episode of Brian Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast. Windhorst said he has heard the same thing, suggesting Gobert and Mitchell have gotten “under each other’s skin” and referring to it as “the most underplayed story in the league.”

Asked today about the report, Mitchell dismissed it, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News: “No, no, no, no. We’re good. That’s not true. … I’m getting tired of answering (these questions) to be honest. Look, we put in the work, we’re leaders for our team, and we’re going through a tough stretch and that happens. But this is part of the business and that’s just how it goes.”

Rumors of tension between Gobert and Mitchell were at their height back in 2020 during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. We haven’t heard as much about the relationship since then — MacMahon says that when the Jazz have everyone healthy and are playing well, the issue “falls in the manageable category.”

Here are a few more highlights from Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast:

As the trade deadline nears, the Pelicans have been “pretty active looking to buy,” according to Windhorst, who reports that New Orleans has talked to the Trail Blazers, Kings, Rockets, and Hawks about CJ McCollum, De’Aaron Fox, Eric Gordon, and Kevin Huerter, respectively. Windhorst adds that Josh Hart is believed to be among the players the Pelicans would move.
Following up on Fox, Windhorst confirms that the Knicks have shown interest in the Kings‘ point guard and says that people around the league don’t really believe Sacramento is fully out of the Ben Simmons sweepstakes.
Windhorst and MacMahon have both heard whispers that the Mavericks are talking to the Celtics about Marcus Smart, though MacMahon admitted he’s not sure whether those discussions have taken place as of late. “I can say with certainty that they’ve shown interest in Marcus Smart in the past,” MacMahon said. “I don’t know how much of that has been recent.”
After stating earlier in the week that the Mavericks likely won’t move Jalen Brunson unless they get blown away by an offer, MacMahon repeated that point and applied it to Dorian Finney-Smith as well. MacMahon added that Brunson’s preference in free agency would be to stay in Dallas, but after earning a total of $6.1MM in his first four NBA seasons, the point guard’s top priority will be getting paid — he won’t be interested in taking a home-team discount.
Windhorst, MacMahon, and ESPN’s Tim Bontemps all agreed – based on what they’ve heard – that the Grizzlies are unlikely to do anything significant at the trade deadline unless they get an opportunity that’s a “grand slam home run.”

Sixers Notes: Maxey, Simmons, Rivers, Trade Deadline

February 2nd, 2022 at 8:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

The emergence of second-year guard Tyrese Maxey may be affecting the Sixers‘ desire to get a deal done for Ben Simmons by the trade deadline, writes David Murphy of The Philadelphia Inquirer. With Joel Embiid out of the lineup Monday, Maxey assumed the role of team leader and put up 33 points and eight assists in a matchup with Grizzlies star Ja Morant.

Murphy suggests it’s a performance that Simmons would have difficulty duplicating, which may lead the Sixers’ front office to think they have the lead guard they need for an extended playoff run. Amid the persistent trade rumors involving Simmons, there have also been reports that Philadelphia may prefer to wait until summer and take another shot at landing a star.

“He’s a helluva basketball player, a great leader at such a young age,” teammate Andre Drummond said of Maxey. “He has a lot on his shoulders being in the position that he’s in to carrying an entire team, he’s great. He’s a great basketball player, and I’m glad that he’s my point guard.”

There’s more from Philadelphia:

Reports about Simmons in an ESPN story that appeared Tuesday indicate that he still doesn’t understand why Sixers fans are disappointed in him, claims Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice. Neubeck notes that fans remained supportive even when Simmons was struggling to make a free throw in last year’s playoffs, but they turned on him in the offseason when he pulled away from the team and appeared to stop trying.
Among the claims in the ESPN report is that Simmons was disappointed that coach Doc Rivers didn’t visit him while he was training in Los Angeles during the offseason. That’s despite Simmons ignoring text messages and calls from Rivers and later telling some of his teammates not to try to see him. “That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that,” Rivers told Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times. “There’s nobody that’s been more supportive than me. I have a tape someone sent me of almost an hour of me over and over (praising Simmons). You heard me last year every day. It’s all posturing. That’s why you haven’t heard me – I don’t get involved in all that stuff. I’ll leave that up to the front office and Ben’s camp. I’m staying out of that part. But, listen, some of this stuff I laugh at and I feel bad. I think Ben’s a good kid. I want Ben to do well.”
With the trade deadline a little more than a week away, Rich Hofmann and John Hollinger of The Athletic look at the Sixers’ options involving Simmons and other players.

Wizards Rumors: Beal, Simmons, Avdija, Hachimura, Bertans

February 2nd, 2022 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

We already published one collection of Wizards-related rumors today, examining the team’s interest in Domantas Sabonis and Spencer Dinwiddie‘s availability, among other topics. However, a deep dive into Washington’s deadline plans from David Aldridge and Josh Robbins of The Athletic covers a few additional bases, necessitating another roundup of notes and rumors from out of the nation’s capital.

Aldridge and Robbins, like other reporters, have heard no indications that the Wizards are considering trading star Bradley Beal, but the sources they spoke to were less certain about Beal’s intentions going forward.

Multiple league sources told The Athletic that the veteran guard remains conflicted about his future, torn between wanting to remain loyal to D.C. and being uncertain about whether the Wizards can surround him with championship-caliber talent.

Beal has been frustrated by the team’s gradual slide down the standings this season, and sources close to him suggest he wouldn’t automatically reject the idea of being traded, according to Aldridge and Robbins. However, he hasn’t asked to be dealt and his preference is still to remain with the Wizards, who want to continue building around him.

Here are a few more highlights from The Athletic’s story on the Wizards:

While Beal is among the Sixers‘ targets in a Ben Simmons trade, Philadelphia isn’t willing to include Tyrese Maxey or Matisse Thybulle along with Simmons in an offer for Beal, sources tell Aldridge and Robbins.
If the Wizards were to trade Beal, it would likely signal the beginning of a teardown and a restart for the franchise, which owner Ted Leonsis seems adamantly opposed to, per The Athletic’s duo. “I don’t see them doing that because I think the owner would prefer not to go through the pain,” one rival team executive said. “They’ve got the right people in place (in the front office), but (Leonsis) doesn’t have the stomach for it.”
The consensus around the NBA is that most of the veterans the Wizards have made available, including Dinwiddie, Montrezl Harrell, and Thomas Bryant, don’t have enough value on their own to net significant returns. At least one of Deni Avdija or Rui Hachimura would probably have to be included if Washington wants to take a bigger swing. One league executive who spoke to The Athletic described Avdija and Hachimura as potential “starting-caliber players,” but said talent evaluators generally don’t view them as future All-Stars.
In order to move Davis Bertans, who is under contract through 2025, the Wizards would likely have to either attach an asset or take back an equally bad contract, per Aldridge and Robbins. “It feels tough (without attaching a pick),” one executive said. “Maybe they can take back a similar contract that doesn’t have the player option year. But, yeah, hard to move.”

Trade Rumors: Brunson, Simmons, Horton-Tucker, More

February 1st, 2022 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

After Marc Stein reported on Monday that Jalen Brunson is more likely to stay with the Mavericks through February 10 than to be traded at the deadline, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon conveyed a similar sentiment during an appearance on Zach Lowe’s podcast, The Lowe Post.

“I have been assured that they will not move Brunson before the trade deadline unless it is, and I quote, a ‘What the bleep are they thinking?’ type of offer,” MacMahon said, according to NBC Sports.

Brunson has become an integral part of the Mavericks’ offense, posting career highs in PPG (15.7) and APG (5.6) so far this season. While he has generated plenty of interest ahead of his looming free agency, Dallas reportedly remains confident in its ability to re-sign him. However, Lowe – who previously suggested the flight risk for Brunson is “very, very real” – warns that the Mavs should be careful about how they approach those negotiations.

“The thing on Brunson is I wouldn’t mess around too much if I were the Mavs,” Lowe said, per NBC Sports. “That’s all I’ll say. I wouldn’t be too cute with the negotiating. I wouldn’t be too cute, based on what I’ve heard.”

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

Executives around the NBA aren’t fully convinced that the Kings are really finished with the Ben Simmons sweepstakes, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. “The Kings needed to walk away because the Sixers were unreasonable in their demands,” an Eastern Conference executive told Bleacher Report. “If Philly backs off [those demands] some, perhaps Sacramento could still make a run at [Simmons].”
Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker is viewed by rival teams as a “marginal asset,” Pincus writes in the same Bleacher Report story. Even though he’s still a developing prospect, Horton-Tucker earns a higher salary than virtually every other 21-year-old in the NBA and will be able to reach unrestricted free agency as early as 2023, diminishing his value.
Pincus adds in the same Bleacher Report story that most teams expect Damian Lillard to sign a two-year contract extension with the Trail Blazers in the offseason. That suggests Lillard won’t be asking for a trade anytime soon.
The Celtics are open to virtually any trade inquiry leading up to the February 10 deadline, but any roster “fireworks” are more likely to happen in the offseason than this month, writes Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. According to Bulpett, multiple sources believe that if Boston doesn’t play well in the second half, it’s possible Jaylen Brown could “acknowledge that the mix isn’t right and seek a move.”

Ben Simmons Notes: Fines, Embiid, Rivers, Training

February 1st, 2022 at 10:25am CST by Luke Adams

The fines the Sixers have imposed on Ben Simmons this season have now exceeded $19MM, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. Simmons, who is docked $360K+ for each game he misses, shows up for shootarounds and film sessions to avoid accumulating additional fines, but doesn’t usually stay long and is disengaged (though not disruptive) during those activities, Shelburne writes.

While there’s a belief that Simmons could eventually recoup a chunk of his lost money via arbitration, that’s not a certainty. According to Shelburne, the 25-year-old is upset that he’s being fined so heavily after explaining to the team that he’s dealing with mental health issues, but is willing to take the financial hit.

“We don’t give a f–k about the money,” a source close to Simmons told ESPN. “That’s not what this is. It’s hard for people to understand. But if you believe in what you’re doing and that this is not the right situation for you, and you’re trying to get to a better place, the money doesn’t matter. Obviously it’s a financial hit. But you adjust.”

“It’s easy to tell when someone is hurt when they have a cast on their arm,” another source said to Shelburne. “But this is mental health. You can’t always see it. But ask yourself, how many people would lose a dollar over this? That should tell you everything.”

Despite not playing since last spring, Simmons is believed to be in great physical condition, according to Shelburne, but he continues to tell the team and his reps that he’s not mentally ready to get back on the court again and doesn’t want to play for the 76ers ever again.

Shelburne’s deep dive into the Simmons/Sixers standoff is worth checking out in full, but here are a few more highlights from the story:

When Simmons agreed to fly to Philadelphia and report to the Sixers during the preseason, he considered it a “grand gesture of good faith,” per Shelburne, but the team viewed it as the least he could do, given that he’s under contract for four years. The return didn’t go well, according to Shelburne, who says Simmons was offended he was still fined for the team’s final preseason game despite rushing to arrive at the arena prior to tipoff.
Sources close to Simmons tell Shelburne that the three-time All-Star was upset that Joel Embiid seemed to blame him for last season’s playoff loss when Simmons didn’t blame Embiid for his “poor showing” in the 2019 postseason against Toronto. If that’s how Simmons truly feels, it’s a bizarre stance — Embiid battled an illness during that ’19 series, but the Sixers had a +18.6 net rating during his 237 minutes, compared to a -52.5 mark in the 99 minutes he didn’t play.
Simmons was also frustrated that Sixers coach Doc Rivers didn’t visit him when he was training in Los Angeles last summer, even though he admits he didn’t reply when Rivers “called him several times over the summer asking to see him,” Shelburne writes. As Shelburne explains, Simmons still feels that Rivers could’ve done more, like having shown up at the gym where he was known to be training.
Simmons wasn’t vaccinated when he first began reporting to the Sixers’ training facility in the fall, but has since been vaccinated, says Shelburne. The Defensive Player of the Year runner-up has gone back and forth between working out at the 76ers’ facility and at other gyms — he doesn’t necessarily want to be around the team more than he has to, but also doesn’t want it to turn into a circus when word gets out that he’s at more public facilities.
Some people within the organization believe that if Simmons – who still watches every Sixers game – did decide to suit up for the club again, his return wouldn’t be as bad as he’s imagined, Shelburne writes. “He’d get booed for a few games, but if he played well everyone would get over it,” one team source said to ESPN. “The fans booed Joel and Tobias [Harris] too, and they both got through it.” Others disagree, however. “It’s too far gone with both the fans and how he feels about the organization,” another team source said.
The Sixers and Simmons’ camp intend to meet again if a trade doesn’t occur by the February 10 deadline, according to Shelburne.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Harden, Nets, Randle

January 29th, 2022 at 9:23am CST by Dana Gauruder

Could the Sixers deal Ben Simmons before the trade deadline and still acquire James Harden in a sign-and-trade with the Nets this offseason? Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com raises that possibility.

He speculates that dealing Simmons for the best available package now might actually make the Sixers more enticing to Harden in free agency.

Making the team better around Joel Embiid than it is right now with Simmons inactive could lead to an extended playoff run, and they’d still have some assets to offer the Nets. Brooklyn would likely accept the best sign-and-trade package it could get from Philadelphia for Harden if the veteran guard insists on joining the Sixers, Neubeck writes.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Harden will return to action on Saturday at Golden State, Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post writes. Harden missed Wednesday’s game against Denver due to left hamstring tightness but was able to practice on Friday. The Nets will reportedly not listen to trade offers for Harden.
The Nets have been forced to play without two or all three of their perennial All-Stars on a frequent basis lately. They have lost three straight but coach Steve Nash hopes the heavier reliance on their role players will pay off in the long run, as he told Greg Joyce of the New York Post. “The goal is to continue to move this thing forward,” Nash said. “Win or lose, are we learning more about ourselves, more about each other and refining our details? If we do, when we get bodies back we’ll be in a better place for it. We’ll have learned something about ourselves, and we’ll be able to say that this time was not wasted.”
Julius Randle doesn’t regret signing a four-year, $117MM extension with the Knicks despite his rough season, according to Steve Popper of Newsday. “I wouldn’t change it,” he said. “I still want to be a part of it. I still want to see this thing through. I still want to be a part of trying to bring a championship to the Knicks.” Randle has reached the 20-point mark just once in the last five games.

Kings No Longer Pursuing Ben Simmons

January 28th, 2022 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

With less than two weeks to go until the NBA’s 2022 trade deadline, the Kings have ended their pursuit of Sixers star Ben Simmons and have shifted their focus to other trade targets, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Sacramento has long been considered one of the most realistic destinations for Simmons due to a combination of the Kings’ assets, roster construction, and a desire to shake up their squad in the midst of another disappointing season. However, according to Wojnarowski, the Kings believe Philadelphia’s asking price for Simmons is too high and that there’s no viable path to a deal.

One report last week suggested Simmons was “front and center” in Sacramento’s deadline plans, while another stated that the Kings might be willing to offer Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, and two future first-round picks in exchange for Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Matisse Thybulle. However, there was a belief that even that package wouldn’t be enough for Philadelphia.

Subsequent reporting indicated the Kings want to build their roster around Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox and weren’t interested in taking back Harris in a Simmons deal, which significantly diminished their odds of putting together an offer Philadelphia would accept. The 76ers, led by president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, have said for months that they want a star player in return in return for Simmons and aren’t inclined to accept a package of role players and draft picks.

With Simmons no longer in their sights and no apparent desire to move Haliburton or Fox, the Kings will continue to shop players like Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley III, Tristan Thompson, and Richaun Holmes as they look to reshape their roster. Sacramento entered the season with playoff aspirations, but currently has an 18-32 record and ranks 13th in the West.

Sources tell Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link) that the belief within the organization is that the current state of affairs is “unacceptable,” so Sacramento is expected to remain active and aggressive in trade discussions leading up to February 10. The Kings have been linked recently to the Pacers’ two centers (Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner), as well as Pistons forward Jerami Grant.

The Sixers, meanwhile, seem increasingly willing to extend their standoff with Simmons into the offseason, as we’ve written multiple times today alone.

According to Wojnarowski, Philadelphia still believes a deal could be made in the next two weeks, but the club also thinks a wider range of options could be available in the offseason, including perhaps stars like James Harden and/or Bradley Beal.

Stein’s Latest: Grant, Simmons, Fox, Millsap, McCollum

January 28th, 2022 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Some rival teams believe there’s something of a split within the Pistons organization on the idea of trading Jerami Grant, says Marc Stein in his latest Substack column.

Signing Grant was one of the first major moves made by general manager Troy Weaver when he took the reins in Detroit’s front office in 2020, and he’s had a “longstanding affinity” for the forward, as Stein writes. However, there’s a belief that Pistons vice chairman Arn Tellem is more open to the idea of trading Grant before the deadline.

Echoing some previous reporting, Stein suggests the Pistons want a significant return for Grant, who in turn wants a significant offensive role and a contract extension with whatever team acquires him. Finding a trade partner willing to check all those boxes could be a challenge for Detroit, so there’s no guarantee the 27-year-old will be on the move by February 10.

Here’s more from Stein:

Teams that have been in touch with the Sixers don’t believe Daryl Morey is bluffing about his willingness to hang onto Ben Simmons through the trade deadline, says Stein. However, clubs are less convinced about reports that De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton are off-limits for the Kings — according to Stein, there’s a sense among rival executives that Fox, in particular, could be had.
Paul Millsap is away from the Nets as the team seeks a new home for the veteran big man. Stein hears from sources that Brooklyn would ideally like to upgrade their perimeter shooting in the process of moving Millsap. That could mean either trading Millsap for a shooter or trading him and then signing a shooter using the newly-opener roster spot.
Anfernee Simons‘ emergence in Portland has sparked “some of the loudest speculation” that the Trail Blazers are finally prepared to break up their longtime backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, Stein writes. There has been no indication that the team is interested in shopping the injured Lillard, so McCollum will be the trade candidate to watch. A Thursday report stated that he has been linked most frequently to New Orleans.

Atlantic Notes: Simmons, Embiid, Durant, Knicks

January 28th, 2022 at 10:29am CST by Luke Adams

In a column for SI.com, Chris Mannix makes the case that the Sixers should move sooner rather than later on a Ben Simmons trade, even if the team might be able to get a stronger return in the offseason. As Mannix argues, Joel Embiid is having an MVP-caliber season and the 76ers are a borderline title contender, so getting a couple good pieces in exchange for Simmons – who isn’t playing – could be enough to push the team over the top.

However, it doesn’t sound like the Sixers feel compelled to act yet. Acknowledging that Philadelphia’s stance has been “all over the place and difficult to read” over the last few months, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on NBA Today (video link) on Thursday that the club still appears prepared to extend its standoff with Simmons beyond February 10.

“The most recent conversations out of Philly to opposing teams in trade talks are that not only are the Sixers showing signs that they are willing to keep Ben Simmons past this trade deadline, but they have not given up on Ben Simmons reversing his field and playing for them this season,” Windhorst said. “… Now, I don’t think that this is a viable option, based on my conversations with Ben Simmons’ side, but it is what the Sixers are saying today.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

After a brief on-court altercation between Embiid and Pelicans rookie Jose Alvarado on Tuesday resulted in technical fouls for both players, Alvarado revealed on Thursday that the Sixers center was paying the $2,000 fine associated with his technical. Embiid explained to reporters, including Andrew Lopez of ESPN, why he covered the cost of Alvarado’s fine. “I just like his energy. He plays hard. He competes. Even when he picked up the tech, he wasn’t backing down,” Embiid said. “… I just felt like the least I can do because I made him pick up a tech and he doesn’t make as much as other guys in the league. I just felt like that was on me and I didn’t want him to lose that money because I’m sure we all need it.”
Nets forward Kevin Durant has earned a $1.1MM bonus as a result of making the All-Star Game, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Even if Durant hadn’t been named an All-Star starter, he would’ve received that bonus if he appears in at least 50 games, the Nets make the playoffs, or the Nets win at least 43 games, so it was a virtual lock. The former MVP’s cap hit going forward will be unaffected, since the bonus had already been considered likely.
Following the Knicks‘ loss to Miami on Wednesday, swingman Evan Fournier expressed frustration with the team’s inability to make in-game changes on offense to account for opposing defensive game plans. “We have to adapt. That’s the main thing,” Fournier said, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. “Because we have the weapons, let’s be honest. We have guys who can score. It shouldn’t be a problem for us to score.” New York currently ranks 24th in the NBA in offensive rating.

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