Ben Simmons reportedly still wants out of the Philadelphia 76ers. He has still not played a game for the franchise, and it is quite possible that the playoffs were the last time we’ll see Simmons in a 76ers uniform.
A recent report by Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer has revealed that the Philadelphia 76ers are currently discussing a Ben Simmons trade that would send him to the Detroit Pistons. The 76ers would get a trade package centered around Jerami Grant, a young player, and a draft pick in return for the 3-time All-Star in this potential trade.
The team has engaged in ongoing discussions with the Detroit Pistons to acquire Grant, another forward, a young player, and a draft pick in exchange for Simmons, league sources said. One source said power forward/center Kelly Olynyk and second-year swingman Saddiq Bey were mentioned as players who could be included in a possible deal. However, a source said the Pistons are unlikely to include Bey, a Villanova product, or Olynyk.
A person close to the Sixers said the team would want a more high-profile player than Grant in exchange for Simmons. The source added that the team hasn’t spoken to the Pistons lately.
But multiple sources said the Sixers have, and that the discussions were centered around Grant. The Athletic reported Thursday the Sixers have a list of 30 players they’d accept in a Simmons trade.
Jerami Grant is currently averaging 18.0 PPG and 4.3 RPG, and he is a great two-way forward. While he started off the season slow, he is a capable perimeter shot creator, and averaged 22.3 PPG last season. Perhaps he could be a better fit for the Philadelphia 76ers than Ben Simmons. It was previously reported that the 76ers would be willing to give up Jerami Grant to get Ben Simmons as well.
As for Ben Simmons on the Pistons, he would be able to develop his game with ample touches, as well as partnering up with another No. 1 pick in Cade Cunningham. They could be a dangerous team in the future.
It remains to be seen if this trade actually happens, but it seems as though there is some potential for it to come to fruition. Apparently, there are 30 players that could be swapped for Ben Simmons, and perhaps Jerami Grant is one of them.
