The Ben Simmons saga continues in Philadelphia as things between the two sides continue to deteriorate. Earlier this week, it was reported that Simmons told the 76ers that he was going to boycott training camp and did not intend to play another game for the 76ers ever again.
Doc Rivers appeared on First Take yesterday morning and said that he and the 76ers would try to change Simmons’ mind, and thinks that he can be a key figure in their championship aspirations. Whether those comments were genuine or made in order to boost Simmons’ trade value is not yet known.
What is known is that Simmons wants to leave Philly, and is ready to do whatever it takes to leave. In fact, some reports have suggested that Simmons is willing to go and play for any team that isn’t the 76ers.
Over the summer, as we entered the offseason, many teams brought offers to the 76ers for Ben Simmons, who was (and still is) on the trading block. But the 76ers rebuffed all of those offers as they didn’t meet their valuation.
One of the teams that have consistently been linked to Simmons is the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors will be looking to extend their championship window, and many feel that Ben Simmons would be the perfect piece for that.
However, Warriors owner Joe Lacob spoke on a potential Ben Simmons trade and didn’t seem to close the door on a potential trade, but still pointed out that his profile is too similar to that of Draymond Green.
But the NBA did not appreciate these comments from Lacob and felt that it violated the anti-tampering rules. NBA insider Shams Charania reported that the NBA fined Lacob $50,000 for his comments about Ben Simmons.
Warriors owner Joe Lacob has been fined $50,000 for violating anti-tampering rule regarding comments on 76ers’ Ben Simmons.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 22, 2021
As of now, the Warriors are not considered one of the favorites to land Simmons. While the Warriors have the assets to land Simmons, the problem lies with Draymond Green. Both he and Simmons have an extremely similar style of play, and Green is too important to the Warriors core to be traded to the 76ers.
As things stand, Simmons will most likely leave the 76ers before the start of the season. But the Warriors are no longer one of the favorites to land him. While the door isn’t properly shut on Simmons arriving, it seems to be more closed than open.
