TheFebruary 10 NBA trade deadlineis less than a week awayand Ben Simmons still belongs to the Philadelphia 76ers, even though he’s beenseeking for a tradesince the offseason.
It seems that there is no turning back in this situation, the Australian wants out of Philly and the organization is not interested in seeing him back in a Sixers uniform. However, the front officeis taking their time to let him leave.
They have not given up on their demands of another All-Star player in return and it looks like they won’t do so. Over the last few weeks, Daryl Moreyhas been linked with a reunion with James Harden, raising speculation about a potential trade between the Sixers and the Brooklyn Nets. And that seems to be a possibility before Feb. 10.
NBA Trade Rumors: Nets open to discuss a James Harden-Ben Simmons trade
Even thoughthe Sixers were expected to make a shocking move for Harden at the end of the season, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that The Beard could make his way to Phillyway earlier . This is what he wrote about the Nets’ stance on a potentialblockbuster trade for Ben Simmons :
“With the NBA trade deadline just days away on Feb. 10, the 76ers are expected to pursue Harden in the coming days and the Nets are believed to be open to discussing a deal, sources with knowledge of the situation tell The Athletic. There’s expectation that both the 76ers and Nets will engage in dialogue on a deal around Simmons for Harden this week, multiple sources say, with Philadelphia holding a chest of role players in Seth Curry, Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle that could sweeten a potential package.
“Still, there’s no urgency for Nets officials, who have had the steadfast belief that the current core, as is, has the means necessary for a championship. However, it’s believed that an opening exists should an offer elevate the team and make the roster more well-rounded as the franchise pursues a championship.”
Another report claimsthe Sixers won’t be able to trade Simmons before the deadline
Interesting as a Harden-Simmons trade may sound, Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice understands that Philadelphia will find it difficult to get a deal for the Australian before the deadline .
(Via Fadeaway World)
“With the NBA trade deadline looming less than a week from Friday, it appears increasingly likely Ben Simmons will be with the Sixers after the deadline’s conclusion, according to sources familiar with the situation.
“The Sixers have had at least exploratory conversations regarding Simmons with a number of franchises around the league, including the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, and Washington Wizards, sources say. The problem from where we sit on February 4th — the Sixers continue to wait on an offer that either significantly moves their title odds forward this season or blows them away with assets that can help them acquire the level of star they are after at a later date. So far, such a deal has not materialized.”
Unsurprisingly, how the Ben Simmons saga will end is stillunpredictable . Of course, we should keep an eye on any new updates in the next couple of days, as conversations couldstep up before February 10.
