Everybody has something to say about the Ben Simmons saga now that the 2022 trade deadline is approaching. The Australian point guard hasn’t played a game since last season, where he collapsed against the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the playoffs.
Reports about Simmons had stopped until a couple of weeks ago when the trade rumors started again. He’s been linked with a series of teams around the league, but the Sixers have a high asking price for the All-Star player.
Philadelphia 76ers legend Charles Barkley recently gave his two pennies on this situation, predicting that Simmons won’t play another game with the Sixers given his damaged relationship with fans.
“He’s never going to play another game in Philly,” Barkley said, per TMZ Sports. “The fans will not forgive him. They gotta make a trade. You gotta move on from a bad relationship.
“Joel Embiid has been playing great this year, so they’re wasting his talents. They’ve got to make a decision. Ben Simmons is never gonna play in Philly again. The fans will never forgive him.”
Moreover, he offered a solution to the team, urging them to call three teams that can provide solid players in exchange for Simmons. All those three teams have been linked with Simmons in the past, so he didn’t make a hot take or anything.
“You call the Boston Celtics, call the Houston Rockets, and you call the Sacramento Kings,” he said. “There’s some good trades out there, but the Sixers are being stubborn and wasting Joel Embiid’s great season. They’re just being stupid.”
Daryl Morey is reportedly looking for a big return in exchange for Simmons. The Celtics could send Jaylen Brown to Philly, the Rockets have John Wall, and the Kings have De’Aaron Fox. Any of these three could be a terrific addition to the Sixers, but that’s not what they’re looking for right now.
Instead, Philly is looking for players like Damian Lillard, James Harden and Bradley Beal. Time will tell if they’re able to land any of these stars. If they can’t, perhaps it’ll be time to look for alternatives and see if Brown, Wall and Fox are available.
