The Philadelphia 76ers will soon trade Ben Simmons. There is simply too much bad blood now, and any trust that may have existed between the two sides has completely dissipated.
Over the past few weeks, Simmons has made it abundantly clear that he is prepared to resort to extreme measures to get out of Philly – and he is ready for things to get ugly in the process.
So presuming a trade is imminent, where will Simmons land? Although there are five legitimate suitors out there for the 25-year-old and two in particular that have already had their offers shot down, the Golden State Warriors have emerged as something of frontrunners.
Over the past few days, a number of reports have emerged from the organization that shine a light on where it stands in regards to Simmons.
On Tuesday, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area reported that team officials were ‘divided’ on the topic of acquiring Simmons.
“The Warriors, according to sources, are divided on the subject,” he wrote. “Some see great potential in having two skilled players thriving in the ball-movement principles, especially in transition. Simmons also happens to be six years younger than Green. Others, however, believe having two non-shooters on the court is too crippling for an offense, even with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, to overcome, particularly in the postseason.”
Two days later, on Thursday, a somewhat contradictory report came out.
“The Warriors front office isn’t currently split on whether or not to accept a Ben Simmons trade offer from Philadelphia,” Anthony Slate of The Athletic reported. “There isn’t — and has never been — a realistic one on the table for them to discuss. Talks can’t be considered dead because they’ve never even really been alive, multiple sources confirm.”
Reading between the lines there, it seems like Warriors officials are suggesting that there is no split because a true offer hasn’t been made by the Sixers. Of course, that doesn’t answer the obvious question: if a proper offer was presented, would the aforementioned concerns about Simmons and Green playing together divide the organization? If the answer is yes, then that original reporting stands and makes total sense. If the answer is no, then obviously that lends credence to the theory that there is no front office split when it comes to Simmons.
Pray for LaMelo. https://t.co/19CUdeNwCM
— Game 7 (@game7__) September 1, 2021
One way or another, whether Simmons ends up in The Bay or not, it is becoming increasingly clear that he isn’t long for Philly. The two options he gave the Sixers this week make that point quite effectively.
So how will this saga ultimately conclude? Time will tell.
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A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
