The Philadelphia 76ers are trying to trade Ben Simmons ahead of Thursday’s 2021 NBA Draft.
Following Simmons’ disastrous showing in the NBA playoffs, it became abundantly clear that his time in Philly was coming to an end.
Between his uncomfortable war with Joel Embiid and the way the front office began to quietly slander him, the writing was on the wall – divorce was inevitable.
The Sixers laid out their asking price for Simmons at the beginning of the offseason, and to date, they have not budged off it. That said, they are apparently very much hoping that someone will ultimately meet it ahead of the draft.
“The Sixers hope to trade Ben Simmons tonight,” reported Sixers insider Jason Dumas on Thursday morning. “The asking price remains the same. The relationship seems to be over. It’s not a matter of if anymore, but when.”
Earlier this week there was talk of Philly perhaps delaying trading Simmons while kicking the tires on a Damian Lillard acquisition, but it appears the front office is no longer married to that idea. If one of the five teams interested in getting Simmons agrees to meet the Sixers’ asking price, he’s theirs ASAP – no questions asked.
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Unfortunately, at least one of the squads involved, the Minnesota Timberwolves, has already signaled that it is not willing to part with one of the players necessary to facilitate a deal. Whether the other teams in the running for Simmons’ services will do something similar remains to be seen.
All in all, the Sixers want Simmons gone ASAP. But based on extenuating circumstances, it is increasingly beginning to look like they won’t be able to get precisely what they want in this particular instance.
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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.
