The clock is ticking for the Philadelphia 76ers to facilitate a deal for Ben Simmons ahead of the February 10 trade deadline.
The 25-year old Aussie star is yet to suit up for the Sixers this season and has been training away from the team as he hopes to find a new home, with several franchises interested.
And Joel Embiid’s MVP calibre form has forced Philly’s hand to increase the urgency of a deal to ensure it doesn’t waste a season of the star centre’s prime.
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Sixers president Darryl Morey confirmed as much in a recent interview on Philadelphia radio station 97.5 The Fanatic.
“I think with how great Joel is, our line has moved down a little bit. Because Joel has lifted us to contention by his sheer will of greatness this year, that does the number of deals we would do more likely. It‘s more likely that we can find ones that get us into the top few contention because of how great Joel is playing. So we are sitting right now at a better chance of a trade that actually helps Joel and the Sixers,” Morey said.
“(Before), we absolutely need to get an impact player, but there’s an impact player that has to be in the top 30 of the league. Because Joel is playing amazing and has lifted us into probably five per cent plus title odds just on his play, now we might be able to do it with a top-40 player who’s a great fit. Or we could do it where we do a trade, it helps the team, it’s a better fit, and maybe our future opportunities are still open because we get some draft picks as part of it.”
But while Morey confirmed the Sixers were willing to looking a rung down — loosening their original demands for a top-line star — and thus opening up more possibilities in a trade, he also said it’s more unlikely than likely that Simmons is dealt by February 10, an outcome all parties are believed to be prepared for.
Reading between the lines, there appears to still be separation on what the Sixers want and what rivals are offering, unless the latter comes to the party with improved packages.
So where does it leave things for the short-term and what sort of deal could the Sixers be looking at?
Two rivals keen on Simmons that are likely to shake things up by the trade deadline and have attractive assets, Sacramento and Indiana, could engage with Philadelphia with different ideas to what’s previously been discussed.
Morey wasn’t willing to comment on the rumoured five-player swap the Kings tabled the Sixers: Buddy Hield, Tyrese Haliburton, Harrison Barnes and two first-round picks for Simmons, Tobias Harris and Matisse Thybulle — but confirmed there’s ‘deals with Sacramento that could work’.
This could suggest the Kings would need to include Fox in any trade for Simmons, that other parts need to be moved around or even that Sacramento wasn’t willing to do the deal.
Speaking on the Hollinger and Duncan NBA Show podcast, host Nate Duncan believes the 24-year old Fox is the best return player who’s been linked to any Simmons talks.
“To me I think Sacramento wants him (Simmons) so badly and wants to do something and has the pieces. In theory, they might have the pieces to do it,” he said.
‘De’Aaron Fox is the best player return that has been discussed in any of these rumoured Simmons deals. He is still pretty young… it would be foolish to fall to far down on Fox due to a bad start or the year, when I think a lot of people would’ve been high on him last summer.
“In terms of a guy who could potentially develop into an All-Star, he’s really the only one in any of these rumoured returns for Simmons that falls into that category.
“If it’s Fox, Hield and Barnes for Simmons and Harris, even without any further draft compensation going to the Sixers, I would do that, as the Sixers.”
However, The Athletic’s John Hollinger doesn’t believe the Kings would be willing to take on Harris’ massive $114 million contract — backing up a report from fellow Athletic writer Sam Amick.
“That Harris contract is so bad. Barnes in himself, there’s value there. You’re just surrendering that to take this Harris contract. That one makes me a little queasy,” Hollinger said.
“If I could get a little more out of it, maybe. If I could get Tyrese Maxey in the deal, can I somehow stuff Tristan Thompson in somehow.
Elsewhere, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons predicted the Pacers as Simmons’ most likely landing spot in a deal that’d see the Aussie and a protected first-round pick swapped for Domantas Sabonis and Jeremy Lamb — also acknowledging Philly can’t waste Embiid’s prime.
He also drew up a list of 40 players he believes are unequivocally off limits in such talks.
It comes after Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer revealed last week the Sixers turned down an offer for Simmons from the Pistons of Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey, Kelly Olynyk and a first-round pick —and it probably wasn’t the first, nor is it likely to be the last.
By and large, the Sixers will be one of the most interesting teams to watch ahead of the trade deadline and what comes about with Simmons.
We know the ‘line has moved down’ on what the Sixers want on the market behind Embiid’s stellar form, yet a move remains unlikely.
So will a party cave and unlock the trade that’s dominated NBA circles all season long, or will this indeed carry into the US summer?
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