In the past months, rumors have been continuously swirling around All-Star point guard Ben Simmons and his future with the Philadelphia 76ers. Though they are still finding ways to convince him to stay, Simmons looked determined to leave the Sixers and start a new journey somewhere else. Despite the major flaws in his game, the Sixers are still expecting a huge return for their disgruntled superstar.
In the potential deal involving Simmons, the Sixers have told interested teams that they would only accept a trade package that includes an All-Star caliber talent who would fit alongside Joel Embiid.
Sixers Engaged In Trade Discussions With Multiple Teams
In a recent article, Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic shared an interesting revelation on the rumors surrounding Simmons and the Sixers. The Sixers have reportedly engaged in trade deals with multiple teams involving players such as Indiana Pacers center Domantas Sabonis and Toronto Raptors power forward Pascal Siakam.
However, though both big men are All-Star caliber players, the Sixers don’t think that they are worthy of trading Simmons.
"Organizationally they have felt that those players were not championship-altering, perfect fits on the roster," The Athletic reported, as quoted by Bleacher Report.
The Case Of Domantas Sabonis
It won’t require rocket science to figure out why the Sixers aren’t interested in trading Simmons for Sabonis. Sabonis plays the same position as Joel Embiid, who is considered the face of the Sixers’ franchise. Though he’s establishing an impressive performance this season, Sabonis is still not on the same level as Embiid.
Compared to Sabonis, Embiid is a better scorer, rebounder, floor-spacer, and rim protector. If the Pacers are serious about acquiring Simmons, they should strongly consider finding a third team that is willing to take Sabonis.
The Case Of Pascal Siakam
Compared to Sabonis, Siakam is more capable of building chemistry with Embiid in the Sixers’ frontcourt. However, Bleacher Report‘s Timothy Rapp believes that Siakam is still a "questionable fit" in Philadelphia since they currently having Tobias Harris playing as their starting power forward.
"Siakam would be a questionable fit as well and would only make sense if the team also dealt Tobias Harris to make room at the 4," Rapp wrote. "The 27-year-old is averaging 21.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game, shooting 48.0 percent from the field and 33.0 percent from three. His ability to create his own shot would be an upgrade over Harris and every other current Sixer not named Embiid, but his career struggles from three (32.5 percent) could cause some floor-spacing issues in Philly."
Sixers Willing To Play The Waiting Game
Though they are actively listening to offers for him on the trade market, the Sixers don’t have any problem keeping Simmons on their roster for the remainder of the 2021-22 NBA season. As Charania and Amick noted in their report, the Sixers prefer to wait to trade Simmons in the 2022 NBA offseason with the hope of using him as the main trade chip to acquire superstars like Brooklyn Nets shooting guard James Harden.
Other players who are on the top of the list of the Sixers’ trade targets next summer include Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards and Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers.
]]>The Inquisitr
