The days are ticking down towards the start of training camp, and it seems as though the Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons are currently at a standstill. While the 76ers have stopped talking to a number of teams, it seems as though there are still franchises who are trying to acquire Ben Simmons.
Sam Amico of Hoops Wire has recently reported that the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Cleveland Cavaliers are the two teams who are “most actively in pursuit” of Ben Simmons. However, he does also state his belief that the chance of Ben Simmons going to the Cavaliers is “less than 50 percent”.
1. Let’s start with this — the Cavs remain very interested in Simmons, the 76ers star guard/forward who is coming off a rough Eastern Conference semifinals loss to the Hawks.
2. Sources tell me the Cavs are actually one of two teams most actively in pursuit of Simmons, with the Timberwolves being the other.
3. That said, I would still give the odds of a Simmons-to-the-Cavs deal less than 50 percent. The Cavs don’t want to give up Darius Garland, and I don’t know that the Sixers want Collin Sexton. One source told me the Sixers would have to “hide” either of those guards defensively, and that’s a lot to ask from a team that is aiming for a Finals berth.
There is no question that Ben Simmons is a good player despite the limitations in his offensive game. His defense landed him in the top 3 for DPOY discussions, and his playmaking in transition is deadly. It is easy to see a fit for him on the Timberwolves as he’d be surrounded with shooters at every position. For the Cavaliers, it’s a little more tricky as they have a lot of big men on the roster, but if they make other moves, Ben Simmons could potentially work out in Cleveland. It remains to be seen whether either team will manage to entice the 76ers with a trade package, but it seems as though both teams are actively working to get him.
