The Philadelphia 76ers have made it abundantly clear that they will only trade Ben Simmons if the right deal comes along. Their asking price was revealed early in the process – and they haven’t budged off it.
This has led to some tense conversations.
The Golden State Warriors straight away hung up the phone in exasperation over the Sixers’ trade demands. And then shortly thereafter, Philly bluntly rejected two separate trade proposals from a pair of other teams because they weren’t enough.
This week, the Sixers began to engage the Indiana Pacers in talks about Simmons. As part of that process, they made their demands very transparent.
“The Sixers are only interested in a deal that would improve their chances or at least keep them there,” wrote Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “That’s where the Indiana Pacers come in. A league source told The Inquirer the Pacers were among a group of teams still inquiring about Simmons’ availability.
“Another source confirmed the Sixers have interest in Indiana’s Caris LeVert. The Pacers shooting guard along with point guard Malcolm Brogdon, who Indiana is open to moving, and at least one first-rounder should be enough to get a deal done. Simmons will make $33 million this season. Brogdon is set to receive $21.7M, while LeVert has $17.5M coming his way. The Pacers can provide a better package than interested teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers.”
Given Minnesota’s refusal to part with one specific player, it’s not surprising that Philly would prefer Indiana’s offer to theirs. However, there is a fair case to be made at the Cavaliers’ offer has been comparable – if not better. Same with the Houston Rockets.
The video speaks for itself. https://t.co/v5S1fX7SBr
— Game 7 (@game7__) October 8, 2021
Either way, it looks like this process is moving along. Obviously Simmons and his representation, who are losing a fortune right now and getting desperate over it, would prefer it move faster – but clearly some degree of progress is begin made.
When will Simmons ultimately get traded? 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.
