Ben Simmons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kings Unlikely To Include De’Aaron Fox In A Ben Simmons Offer

July 14th, 2021 at 10:07am CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings are among the “known suitors” who would like to get Ben Simmons from the Sixers, but they aren’t likely to part with De’Aaron Fox, sources tell Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

Numerous reports have stated that Philadelphia is putting a high asking price on Simmons and is hoping to get an All-Star player in return. Fox hasn’t been an All-Star yet, but he has been extremely productive in his first four NBA seasons and is part of the young foundation in Sacramento. He averaged 25.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 7.2 assists in 58 games this year while shooting 47.7% from the field and 32.2% from three-point range. He’s also under contract for the next five years.

Anderson states that the Kings are more likely to offer a package that includes shooting guard Buddy Hield, power forward Marvin Bagley III, and multiple future first-round picks. A league source told Anderson that Sacramento would have to give up at least three first-rounders to make the deal work, while another source said the Sixers wouldn’t have any interest unless Fox or rookie guard Tyrese Haliburton is part of the offer.

Hield would fill a need for the Sixers, who ranked 23rd in the league in made three-pointers this season, Anderson notes. He’s a career 40.6% shooter from beyond the arc and holds the league record for most three-pointers made in his first five seasons.

Bagley is a talented young player who so far is best known for being selected ahead of Luka Doncic and Trae Young in the 2018 draft. He has missed a combined 108 games due to injury in first three NBA seasons and has been part of public disputes with the Kings about playing time and his future with the organization.

Sixers Have Engaged In Ben Simmons Trade Talks

July 13th, 2021 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

1:07pm: In addition to Indiana and Minnesota, the Cavaliers and Kings are “known suitors” for Simmons, according to Marc Stein, who says the Raptors are also believed to have expressed interest.

9:42am: The Sixers have opened up discussions about a possible Ben Simmons trade and have engaged with teams, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Following a disappointing postseason, there was a sense that Simmons’ value around the NBA may have dipped. However, sources tell Charania that the 76ers’ asking price in their trade talks has been high.

“(They) want an All-Star-caliber player in return,” one source told The Athletic.

Simmons’ reluctance to shoot and his struggles at the free throw line in the second round of the playoffs played a part in the Sixers getting eliminated earlier than expected by Atlanta.

However, the former No. 1 overall pick has a strong NBA résumé, including three All-Star berths and a runner-up finish in this year’s Defensive Player of the Year voting. He’ll be entering his age-25 season and is under contract for four more years — as Charania notes, that kind of team control is rare for a star player on the trade market. Leaguewide interest in Simmons continues to be “robust,” per The Athletic.

According to reports in recent weeks, the Timberwolves are among the teams expected to pursue Simmons, and the Pacers are believed to have made a trade offer.

The Sixers have suggested both publicly and privately that they’re comfortable working with Simmons on his shot this offseason and bringing him back in the fall. While that may be posturing, the team’s high asking price in talks so far indicates that president of basketball operations Daryl Morey won’t be looking to sell off the three-time All-Star at a discount rate.

For what it’s worth, Charania says Simmons appears to be exhibiting a “renewed determination” to improve and expand his game this summer. Whether he’ll play his next game as a member of the Sixers or another franchise remains to be seen.

Timberwolves Notes: Draft, Simmons, Sikka

July 9th, 2021 at 9:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Timberwolves have traded away their picks in this month’s draft but they’re still preparing as if they’ll wind up participating, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. They’re co-hosting pre-draft workouts this weekend with the Jazz.

“Just because we don’t have a pick on whatever day today is doesn’t mean we’re not going to have a pick on draft night,” team president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said. “The worst thing you can do is be caught unprepared and we’re fortunate we have players on our roster that are valued by other teams. We have opportunities to jump in the draft at very strategic levels and that’s a testament to our players, the value they have around the league.”

We have more on the Timberwolves:

Rumors surfaced late last month that the team would explore a trade with the Sixers for Ben Simmons. Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic explores how Simmons might fit in and what it would take to bring him to Minnesota. The Timberwolves could match up salaries by including Ricky Rubio and Malik Beasley in a deal, but it’s likely Philadelphia would ask for D’Angelo Russell and/or future first-rounders, Krawczynski notes.
Robby Sikka has resigned from his position as the Wolves’ VP of basketball operations and wellness, Krawczynski writes in a separate story. Rosas hired Sikka two years ago to improve the team’s ability to stay healthy, revamp its player nutrition program and work with head athletic trainer Gregg Farnam to oversee the rehabilitation of injuries.
Forward Juan Hernangomez, who had been preparing to represent Spain in the Olympics, dislocated his left shoulder during an exhibition game and will miss the Tokyo games. Get the details here.

Central Notes: Sexton, Cavaliers, Antetokounmpo, Brogdon

July 3rd, 2021 at 7:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat are the best trading partner if the Cavaliers are looking to move guard Collin Sexton, contends Nekias Duncan of BasketballNews.com. Sexton is only 22 and is coming off his best season, averaging 24.3 points per game, but he will be eligible for a rookie-scale extension this summer. Cleveland is focused on re-signing restricted free agent center Jarrett Allen and may not want to hand out a second large contract.

Duncan likes the fit for Sexton in Miami because the Heat need another scorer who can attack the rim. Sexton’s limitations as a play-maker wouldn’t matter as much with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo handling the ball, Duncan adds, while coach Eric Spoelstra could find ways to overcome Sexton’s defensive issues.

Duncan suggests it would be easy to include Kevin Love in the potential trade and get his contract off Cleveland’s books. Miami could match salary by picking up its options on Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala and possibly including Tyler Herro and KZ Okpala in the deal.

Duncan mentions the Raptors, Celtics and Lakers as other possible destinations for Sexton.

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Cavaliers have gotten calls from teams interested in their No. 3 pick, but nothing has moved beyond “cursory conversations,” according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Magic, who own the fifth and eighth selections, and the Warriors, who have No. 7 and 14, could be teams to watch if talks get more serious.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was able to do on-court work today for the first time since hyperextending his left knee Tuesday night, tweets Malika Andrews of ESPN. Coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed the workout in a pre-game session with reporters, adds Eric Nehm of The Athletic (via Twitter), but said he wasn’t able to watch it.
A source tells J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star that the Pacers haven’t had any trade talks with the Sixers involving the 13th pick (Twitter link). A report Friday said Philadelphia declined an offer of Malcolm Brogdon and the pick for Ben Simmons. The Pacers tend to avoid large contracts like Simmons has, Michael adds, noting that owner Herb Simon vetoed a trade for Mike Conley two years ago. Indiana is open to moving the pick, according to Michael, but he says there have been no talks with the Sixers, who are hoping to land Damian Lillard from the Trail Blazers.

Pacific Notes: Simmons, Wiseman, Green, Kerr

July 2nd, 2021 at 6:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It’s unlikely the Kings could put together a trade package that would allow them to acquire Ben Simmons from the Sixers, according to James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area. Philadelphia is seeking an All-Star caliber player for Simmons and Sacramento is unlikely to make Tyrese Haliburton or De’Aaron Fox available.

Ham speculates the Kings could try to package Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley and the No. 9 overall pick or Harrison Barnes, Bagley and the same pick and see if Philadelphia would be interested.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Warriors can take their cue from the Suns in order to get the most out of James Wiseman, Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. Deandre Ayton is a major reason why Phoenix advanced to the Finals, mainly due to the fact he’s become a prolific rebounder while getting fewer touches on offense. The Warriors need their bigs to thrive near the rim and help them get extra possessions, and that should be Wiseman’s main focus, Andrews adds.
Suns assistant Willie Green is reportedly a candidate for all three remaining head coaching jobs around the league and Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic takes a closer look at how Green would fit in with the Wizards, Pelicans and Magic. Green isn’t in a rush to get a head coaching job. “It’s definitely a goal, but I don’t feel like a need to chase that goal,” he said.
With Draymond Green playing for Team USA and Steve Kerr on the coaching staff, the Warriors could reap long-term benefits by building relationships with star players that could eventually land in Golden State, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area speculates. The Olympics present a low-key method for franchises to recruit players, Poole adds.

Sixers Reportedly Rejected Pacers’ Offer For Ben Simmons

July 2nd, 2021 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers are listening to offers for Ben Simmons, but weren’t willing to accept a recent trade proposal from the Pacers, tweets Jason Dumas of KRON4 News.

According to Dumas, Indiana offered guard Malcolm Brogdon and a first-round pick in a deal for Simmons. He doesn’t specify that the pick would be this year’s, but the Pacers hold the 13th selection in the July 29 draft.

Brogdon, 28, is coming off a career-best season in both scoring (21.2 PPG) and rebounding (5.3 RPG). He can play either guard position and is known as an efficient shooter and an intelligent play-maker.

Brogdon is under contract for two more seasons and is set to earn $21.7MM next year and $22.6MM in 2022/23. The deal would provide some cap flexibility for Philadelphia, which owes Simmons more than $146MM over the next four seasons.

Trade rumors have been swirling around Simmons ever since his poor shooting performance in the playoffs. Sixers officials are saying they prefer to keep him and work to improve his shot, but they have been fielding offers, according to Dumas, who adds that they are continuing to insist on a star player in return.

Olympic Notes: Team USA, Randle, Simmons, Okogie, Senegal

June 29th, 2021 at 11:25am CST by Luke Adams

USA Basketball has officially announced its 12-man roster for the Tokyo Olympics, and there are no surprises in the group. The 12 players on the squad are the same dozen that were reported earlier this month.

While it remains to be seen which players will emerge as the go-to crunch-time options for Team USA in Tokyo, Joe Vardon of The Athletic suggests that it’s easy to envision a starting lineup consisting of Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Draymond Green, Damian Lillard, and either Devin Booker or Bradley Beal, based on comments made on Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo on Monday.

As Vardon details, Colangelo spoke about virtually every player selected for the 12-man roster, explaining the Jerami Grant was selected for his “versatility,” while Kevin Love‘s past international experienced played a major part in his selection. According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, Colangelo said that Knicks forward Julius Randle was one of the players who just missed the cut.

“Regardless of who you select, there’s always a few names that come up regarding why they aren’t there,” Colangelo said. “Randle was right there. He was one of our considerations. Especially when some of the injuries took place and we lost a few players.”

Here’s more on the Olympics and the qualifying tournaments, which get underway today:

As expected, Sixers guard Ben Simmons has opted against representing Australia at the Tokyo Olympics, the program confirmed in a press release. Simmons is focusing on his individual development this offseason, agent Rich Paul told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). “I have spoken with Ben and whilst we wanted him to be a part of our team, we understand and support his decision and he has made it clear that this is something that he wants to be a part of in the future,” Australia head coach Brian Goorjian said. “… The best thing for everybody right now is for him to go on and develop that skill package and improve in a couple of areas for his next season in the NBA, but the Boomers are always here for him.”
Timberwolves wing Josh Okogie has confirmed he’ll be part of the Nigerian team that competes in the Olympics next month (Twitter link). Nigeria’s preliminary roster included 49 names, which the program will have to pare down to 12 for Tokyo.
Senegal has withdrawn from the qualifying tournament in Serbia due to “COVID-19 related disruptions,” tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. As a result, Senegal will forfeit games to Puerto Rico and Italy, who will both advance to the next round of the qualifier.
Team Canada’s eight NBA players are easily the most of any team in the qualifiers, but they’ll need to rely on more than talent as they face international teams that have developed stronger chemistry, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.

Timberwolves Reportedly Have Trade Interest In Ben Simmons

June 28th, 2021 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers, who are weighing what changes to make to their roster this offseason, continue to insist they’re committed Ben Simmons for the long term. However, if the 76ers seriously explore a potential Simmons trade this offseason, the Timberwolves are among the teams expected to show interest, Darren Wolfson of SKOR North said on The Scoop (audio link).

“I texted with somebody that knows Ben Simmons incredibly well (and) has working knowledge of all things NBA,” Wolfson said. “My text the other day said, ‘How badly do the Wolves want to trade for Ben Simmons?’ This individual sent me a text back, it was one word: ‘Badly.’

“Make no mistake, the Wolves have trade interest in Ben Simmons,” Wolfson continued. “… (President of basketball operations) Gersson Rosas is going to show – or already has, going back many months – interest in Ben Simmons.”

As Kurt Helin of NBC Sports writes, the Wolves probably aren’t parting with Karl-Anthony Towns or Anthony Edwards in any deal this offseason. That would leave D’Angelo Russell as the likely centerpiece in any offer for Simmons. Alternatively, Minnesota could package Malik Beasley and Ricky Rubio in order to put together enough salary to match Simmons’ $33MM+ cap hit.

However, even if the Wolves were to add draft picks to their offers, it’s unclear how appealing those offers would be to Daryl Morey and the Sixers. Should the 76ers move their three-time All-Star, they’d want to make a deal that would improve the team’s chances of competing for a title in 2022, rather than one heavy on draft picks. Morey would likely aim higher than a package headed by Russell or Beasley/Rubio.

Still, it’s an interesting idea, particularly given the Wolves’ quest to add a power forward this summer. While Simmons has been considered a point guard for the majority of his NBA career, the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up is more than capable of guarding threes and fours, which would make him an intriguing fit in Minnesota.

Southeast Notes: Simmons, Wizards, Todd, Magic Draft

June 25th, 2021 at 9:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There aren’t a whole lot of trade scenarios that would work for the Wizards to acquire Ben Simmons, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. They wouldn’t swap Bradley Beal for the Sixers guard unless Beal suddenly wants out. Dealing Russell Westbrook would have involve a third team, since he doesn’t seem like a good fit with the Sixers’ roster. The Wizards could also piece together other salaries with packages featuring Davis Bertans or Rui Hachimura but Philadelphia would more likely seek top-level impact players for Simmons.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The Wizards have scheduled a predraft workout with Isaiah Todd, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Todd played on the G League Ignite team, averaging 12.3 PPG and 4.9 RPG in 15 games. He’s currently ranked No. 52 overall and No. 11 among power forward on ESPN’s Best Available list.
The Magic‘s best chance of moving up in the draft could be the Rockets’ pick at No. 2, Josh Robbins of The Athletic speculates. Orlando holds the No. 5 and No. 8 picks and might entice the Rockets to trade down if the Magic are willing to take on Eric Gordon‘s contract.
Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman is in no rush to hire a new head coach, Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel writes. It has been nearly three weeks since the team announced it had parted ways with Steve Clifford.

Rich Paul, Sixers Meet To Discuss Ben Simmons’ Future

June 24th, 2021 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and general manager Elton Brand met with agent Rich Paul this week at the pre-draft combine in Chicago to begin discussing potential next steps for Ben Simmons, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

According to Wojnarowski, Paul spoke to the Sixers about whether it would make sense for the two sides to work together to find a trade for Simmons this offseason. However, Simmons’ camp has not made a trade request and discussions about his future are expected to continue in the next several weeks.

Sources tell Wojnarowski that the 76ers are committed to keeping Simmons for the long term. Given the way that the 24-year-old’s stock dipped during the postseason, that likely just means the team doesn’t want to move him for 50 cents on the dollar — I expect Morey and Brand would pull the trigger on a trade if they felt they were getting fair value.

For what it’s worth, Wojnarowski hears from sources that Simmons’ value on the trade market remains “significant,” despite his offensive struggles in the playoffs. Teams have been gauging Philadelphia’s interest in potential trade packages at the combine in Chicago this week, Woj adds.

Head coach Doc Rivers spoke after the Sixers’ season ended about the team’s plans to address Simmons’ offensive struggles and efforts to improve his shot this summer. Simmons and Rivers met this week to discuss that plan, according to Wojnarowski, who says the club is reluctant to seriously consider trading the former No. 1 overall pick without exhausting all options to improve his offense.

Simmons, who was the runner-up for the Defensive Player of the Year award and has been an All-Star in each of the last three seasons, still has four years and approximately $147MM left on his contract with Philadelphia.