Ben Simmons, an All-Defensive guard that created trade rumors following his unwillingness to shoot late in playoff games, may be looking to get out of Philadelphia.
The Golden State Warriors are a place he’d be “open” to joining. The two sides appeared to look at what a deal may potentially cost each franchise prior to the Warriors using their two lottery picks in the 2021 NBA Draft.
The Golden State Warriors may get a chance to trade for a discounted Ben Simmons as the All-Star guard has cut ties with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Prior to the draft, the asking price for Simmons was Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman and four first-round picks. Sorry, Philadelphia, but that was never going to happen as Simmons just isn’t that valuable.
According to Jason Dumas, a reporter for Bleacher Report, Simmons has cut off communications with the bulk of the Sixers staff and may look to be traded to Golden State, although he notably has little leverage.
Given that this wasn’t the dynamic that Simmons expressed prior to the draft makes any trade much more complicated, especially if the Sixers are going to keep their sky-high asking price. It just wouldn’t happen.
On top of having a poor shooting roster already, the Sixers added Lakers center Andre Drummond and have yet to re-sign shooting guard Danny Green, both not great for the outlook of Simmons entering the new season.
The 25-year-old Simmons was the No. 1 overall pick out of LSU in the 2016 NBA Draft. Standing 6-foot-11, he offers outstanding size and athleticism. However, it’s his shooting woes that allow defensives to clog the lane.
Simmons stock around the league doesn’t seem to be as high as Daryl Morey’s asking price which could eventually be an issue.
With the way Simmons sounds and assuming the report is accurate, the relationship doesn’t appear to be salvageable. Simmons averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game last season.
Those numbers are elite, and he’s that good. But, he’s still not worth what Morey wants. With Golden State likely interested to some degree, we’ll see if the two sides can stir up more traction this time around.