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Golden State Warriors entering an awkward situation with Ben Simmons

By Tony Pesta

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 22: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers waits for a pass during the first half of a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on February 22, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 22: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers waits for a pass during the first half of a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on February 22, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Ben Simmons has long been in trade rumors and the Golden State Warriors remain one of the top destinations on everyone’s hypothetical list. Yet, the likelihood of Simmons ending up in the Bay continues to diminish as things get… well, awkward.

The Golden State Warriors don’t seem too interested in Ben Simmons despite relentless rumors pairing the two together.

The truth is, the Warriors’ front office is split, to begin with. They aren’t fully sold on the fit with Simmons and the existing core — making the decision to trade for him a divisive one from the start.

"“There is a split…. there are some poeple in the Warriors who believe you get a guy like Ben Simmons, you make it work.Then there are some people like ‘he can’t shoot, you can’t put him next to Draymond. He doesn’t fit what we do.'”Marcus Thompson via The Ringer"

One thing that the organization tends to agree on, however, is a reluctance to trade their young players. Marcus Thompson of The Athletic mentioned multiple times during The Ringer Podcast that the Warriors are not particularly interested in trading James Wiseman or Jonathan Kuminga.

The goal is clear — longevity. The Dubs don’t want to trade their future for a slightly better chance of winning in the present. This makes the idea of trading for Simmons an unrealistic one, especially when factoring in the asking price.

Again stated by Thompson, the Philadelphia 76ers are looking for quite the return for their All-Star. This places the chance of working out a deal between the two parties in a difficult and unlikely position.

Of course, both Thompson and Kevin O’Connor acknowledge that this situation will get interesting moving forward. February is a long way away — and plenty of things could change by then. Specifically, how high will the Dubs be on Wiseman by the deadline? Will his value tank? Or will the franchise be even more invested in their young center.

The potential for Wiseman or Kuminga to drastically raise (or lower) their stock makes this predicament even more awkward. For now, I wouldn’t bet on Simmons playing for the Warriors any time soon.

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