Woj: Ben Simmons saga could go past deadline, Sixers unhappy with options
The Philadelphia 76ers are sitting at the forefront of a lot of NBA trade rumors as the Feb. 10 trade deadline approaches. They will be the subject of a lot of different reports over the next couple of weeks heading into the deadline with everything centered on one certain All-Star.
Ben Simmons remains the subject of a lot of rumors as reports are flying left and right that there will be a line of teams who are looking to acquire the 25-year old 3-time All-Star from Philadelphia.
However, the Sixers have maintained that they want a top 25 player in return for Simmons. They will not settle for anything less and it seems like they will hold onto that stance as they move forward with their season.
Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on “NBA Today”, this could go until the NBA draft:
There is no movement, and listen, we may be in this situation all the way until the draft. Right now, you look at Philadelphia and the kind of players available to them in a Ben Simmons trade, a Harrison Barnes in Sacramento, Domantas Sabonis, Indiana, and listen, John Collins in Atlanta, that’s not going to move the needle at this point for Ben Simmons and listen, they would especially positionally with those players power forwards for Philly, It doesn’t make any sense. Hypothetically, if they took any of those guys on in big deals, and still have Tobias Harris on your roster at the same position making closer to $40 million a year over the following two seasons and so unless they could expand a deal, make it bigger.
To Woj’s point, the Sixers are potentially looking to also move Tobias Harris in any Simmons deal, but it doesn’t change the fact that moving both players will be a huge challenge for president Daryl Morey to do so. The Atlanta Hawks are not going to take back Harris’ contract considering the money they have tied up in players such as Trae Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Woj added on Philadelphia’s situation:
Listen, Atlanta is not taking back Tobias Harris in a deal with Ben Simmons. Could they route Tobias Harris somewhere else? Listen, it is a lot of money on his contract. Right now, Philadelphia continues to be content to wait and their philosophy all along has been if we get a trade package back, that doesn’t make us a championship contender, doesn’t get us back to that level that we felt we were with with Ben Simmons, we’re not doing it. I think even with a month left to the deadline, there’s a real chance this goes on beyond the deadline.
It does begin to sound like Morey and the Sixers are more than content with just waiting it out and seeing what Philadelphia can get for Simmons as the season goes on. Of course, stances could change as the days and weeks go on, but at this moment in time, it does appear that they will let this season go and wait until the offseason.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
List
3 teams who should give the Sixers a call about a Ben Simmons deal
