Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers remain engaged in a nasty war that started at the end of last season.
After his team’s frustrating expulsion from the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, Simmons was thrown under the bus by teammate Joel Embiid and head coach Doc Rivers for being scared to shoot.
For obvious reasons, that didn’t go over well.
Simmons demanded a trade immediately and pledged to not play any further games for the Sixers. Because of Simmons’ refusal to suit up, Philly stopped paying him. This has led to an inevitable result. In the meantime, the Sixers have rejected all trade offers for Simmons for not being good enough.
Fortunately, the Oklahoma City Thunder may have a solution to everyone’s problems.
According to NBA insider Dave Early, OKC has emerged as a legitimate suitor for Simmons’ services.
“Have heard that the Sixers recently held internal talks about acquiring Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in a potential Ben Simmons swap,” he wrote. “OKC is also a key team to watch as a facilitator in a potential multiteam deal.”
Although the prospect of the Thunder trading away Gilgeous-Alexander seems odd, what with them just giving him a pretty hefty new deal, it also wouldn’t be above Sam Presti to giving away the present for the future. It’s not like OKC is going to be competing for a title any time soon, and Gilgeous-Alexander has proven to be a bit injury-prone throughout his career.
This may be the perfect sell-high situation.
Simmons was also recently linked to a three-team trade involving the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings. That deal would also make a lot of sense, as it’s a win-win-win for all parties.
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At this point, Simmons getting dealt feels like an inevitability. It’s not a matter of if, just when.
Related: Damian Lillard Gets Brutally Honest About Ben Simmons (Video)
Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
