While the Ben Simmons saga continues in Philadelphia, the 76ers keep trying to solve this situation either with the player returning to the court or shipping him away from the city.
He was linked with several teams during the summer, including the Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors. However, that was just noise and the team didn’t complete a deal for the disgruntled star.
A couple of months later, reports suggest one team is entertaining the idea of trading for Simmons. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Boston Celtics could make a surprising move for the playmaker.
In the meantime, the 76ers have not had any deal form for Simmons. Morey has continued to set a high price threshold for any deal involving the runner-up for the 2021 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Philadelphia is once again the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference so far this season, beginning the campaign 8-2 with quality wins while playing through absences and the Simmons situation.
The Boston Celtics have engaged in conversations with the 76ers revolving around Simmons and expressed interest in the 6-foot-11 guard, sources tell The Athletic. Talks have been fluid with no traction as of yet, those sources say. Any potential Simmons deal with the Celtics would have to include All-Star forward Jaylen Brown, an ascending talent who is in the midst of another career season, averaging 25.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
The Celtics are off to a 4-6 start, winning two recent games against Miami and Orlando before losing to Dallas Saturday night. President of basketball operations Brad Stevens admitted to NBC Sports Boston that the organization is “going to find out” if it has the right group of players.
After a summer full of rumors and speculation, Simmons returned to the team a couple of weeks ago. He was involved in more controversies after that, getting kicked out of practice by head coach Doc Rivers. Ben stated he’s not mentally ready to play and decided to seek help through the NBPA.
They resumed fining Simmons after the player refused to provide information about his mental health and the help he’s received so far. This has become an issue for the Sixers, as they want to have a clear picture of what Ben needs and what he is seeking from his therapists.
The Sixers could get a terrific player in Jaylen Brown, who’s posting solid numbers this season by averaging 25.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in eight games with the Celtics. They aren’t going through a good moment either after Marcus Smart called Brown and Jayson Tatum out for not passing the ball.
Perhaps a playmaker like Simmons could solve the Celtics’ issues and lift their level alongside Jayson Tatum. That would be a lethal combination and Simmons wouldn’t worry about shooting the ball.
The C’s don’t look like a serious candidate now, but this potential move could change that in the next couple of weeks. Time will tell how this plays out and if Daryl Morey pulls the trigger to let Simmons go and land a player that will keep the Sixers as contenders.
