Even though the Philadelphia 76ers are focused on Joel Embiid and developing Tyrese Maxey, the team is still trying to ship Ben Simmons away. The point guard returned to Philadelphia in the offseason, participated in two practices, and never suited up for the team.
He’s still away after citing mental health issues as his reason to miss games this campaign. Ever since he refused to meet team’s officials and teammates, people started wondering where he’d play next, as it looks extremely unlikely that Simmons will return to the Sixers.
That said, the team reportedly has a list of 30 players they could get in return for Simmons, with Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal and James Harden being included. They don’t want to trade for role players; they want a complement for Joel Embiid and somebody that keeps their championship contender status.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is still waiting for Lillard and Beal to be available, so he can pull the trigger on a Simmons move.
Still, sources say the Sixers — who have been on the lookout for an All-Star in return for Simmons for so long now — have continued to ask for a massive haul in return while frustrating some suitors along the way. As such, some team executives remain convinced that Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is still waiting for Portland’s Damian Lillard or Washington’s Bradley Beal to be made available down the line (i.e. this summer at the earliest).
Simmons hasn’t played an NBA game since June, and some think he’ll spend more than a year without setting foot on an NBA court. The playmaker isn’t interested in returning to the Sixers and they are in no rush to bring him back.
Joel Embiid keeps carrying this team and they want to pair him with another superstar to take this squad to the promised land. It remains to be seen if Simmons’ trade value can bring a big return for Philly, but they’re confident another star could be on its way sooner than later.
