The ongoing feud between Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers took a new turn this week.
Simmons desperately wants a trade, something he has been adamantly demanding since the end of last season. Philly is steadfast in its refusal to deal him for anything less than its stated asking price, which is massive.
This has led to a stalemate.
Fortunately, it looks like a potential solution has presented itself.
According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, a deal may be brewing between the Sixers and Pistons.
“The team has engaged in ongoing discussions with the Detroit Pistons to acquire [Jerami] Grant, another forward, a young player, and a draft pick in exchange for Simmons,” he wrote.
“One source said power forward/center Kelly Olynyk and second-year swingman Saddiq Bey were mentioned as players who could be included in a possible deal. However, a source said the Pistons are unlikely to include Bey, a Villanova product, or Olynyk.”
Yikes. https://t.co/2Yr0Ns5Wd1
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 19, 2021
Grant is currently averaging 18.1 points per game for Detroit. While he obviously doesn’t represent the sort of superstar return Philly repeatedly expressed it wanted in return for Simmons, he is a solid contributor.
Simmons clearly has one squad he would prefer to be dealt to, but at this juncture beggars can’t be choosers. He will ultimately accept any place that isn’t Philadelphia.
Will the Sixers ultimately relent, cut their losses and trade Simmons to the Pistons? Time will tell.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
