NBA Rumors: Ben Simmons has chosen his preferred destination

The Philadelphia 76ers will have to deal with the fact that Ben Simmons will never play for them again. Even if he suits up at some point during the NBA season, he just won’t be committed to their cause.

That’s why, eventually, Daryl Morey will have to meet someone in the middle and agree to move him at a discount. No one will want to overpay for a player with character issues and a desire to leave his team.

But, if motivation is what Simmons needs, it seems like there’s a team that could make him fall in love with the game again. According to a recent report, Simmons would be willing to play for Ime Udoka’s Boston Celtics.

NBA Rumors: Ben Simmons Wants To Play For The Celtics

(Transcript via Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe)

“Can Udoka, who coached Simmons in Philadelphia as an assistant, get the best out of the former No. 1 overall pick? Yes. Would Simmons be interested in coming to Boston? Yes, according to a league source. And while Stevens has shown a willingness to take chances in his brief tenure as team president, he is understandably going to walk back these rumors and refute them immediately.

Simmons should only be a consideration at the right price, and that price likely will never be to Stevens’ satisfaction as long as Morey is willing to wait months — or even years — to make a deal and he continues to request All-Star players in return for someone whose stock is at an all-time low.”

The Celtics Hung Up On Philadelphia

Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean that the Celtics are as high on Simmons as Simmons is on them. While they’ve engaged in trade talks recently, they’re unwilling to meet Morey’s unrealistic price for his services:

“Daryl Morey asked for Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, and a protected first round pick to the Celtics in exchange for Ben Simmons and Danny Green. The Celtics hung up without saying any words,” reported The Athletic.

At the end of the day, Morey will either have to lower his asking price for the former first-overall pick or just continue to fine him until the end of time. But at least, it seems like there’s some traction now.