Marc Stein: 76ers interested in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander type player in potential Ben Simmons trade

In his weekend dime-dropping post on Substack, NBA reporter Marc Stein reported the Philadelphia 76ers are searching for a return package headlined by a player from the ‘Damian Lillard/Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tier’ in a Ben Simmons trade.

The 76ers, 15-12, have been in a holdout battle with Simmons this entire season and has yet suited up for a game with the franchise. The 25-year-old has requested a trade and will most likely never play another game in a 76ers’ jersey.

The Thunder (8-17) signed Gilgeous-Alexander to a five-year, $172 millions rookie extension with no opt outs during the offseason. The extension does not kick in until the 2022-23 season.

The fourth-year guard is averaging 21.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and five assists in 22 games this season.

I’m sure 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey would love to get a player such as Gilgeous-Alexander — a young, controllable rising All-Star — in return for Simmons.

But it does not make any sense from the Thunder’s side to trade him. Especially considering how not even six months ago general manager Sam Presti said he was looking forward to extending Gilgeous-Alexander.

This does not mean trading Gilgeous-Alexander is out of the picture forever. This is the NBA; Players ask out all the time and circumstances change. But to think the Thunder will trade Gilgeous-Alexander one year into its rebuild for a 25-year-old player who does not fit their timeline and has already expressed his desire to only play for a California team seems like hopeful dreaming at best and straight up delusional at worst for the 76ers.