The Philadelphia 76ers are in a tough spot right now. They need to find a suitor for Ben Simmons before the NBA's trade deadline, and that's not likely to happen until he makes his season debut.
Simmons says that he's not mentally prepared to be back out there and that he's seeking mental health advice. The Sixers haven't exactly missed him on the court but can't afford to lose such a valuable asset.
That, plus the poor way the Detroit Pistons have started off the year and the desperate need of a star, has made them consider trading for the Australian guard, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
NBA News: Pistons, Sixers In Talks About A Trade For Ben Simmons
"The team has engaged in ongoing discussions with the Detroit Pistons to acquire Grant, another forward, a young player, and a draft pick in exchange for Simmons, league sources said. One source said power forward/center Kelly Olynyk and second-year swingman Saddiq Bey were mentioned as players who could be included in a possible deal," reported Pompey.
NBA Rumors: Sixers Would Only Trade Simmons To Pistons For Cade Cunningham
Nonetheless, another report said that the Sixers aren't interested in bringing Grant back and instead, would only consider moving Simmons for Cade Cunningham, the first-overall pick in this year's draft:
(Transcript via Philly Voice)
"The latest entry into the rumor mill was a report this week from the Inquirer regarding "ongoing discussions" with the Detroit Pistons, where the Sixers were said to be interested in former Philly draftee Jerami Grant. (...)
According to sources, those discussions were not just old and presently inactive, they were of little interest to the Sixers. The team's list of players they'd be interested in acquiring for Simmons, recently referred to by Sam Amick in a report for The Athletic, does not include Grant, a source familiar with the situation tells PhillyVoice.
Sources say there's not much of a discussion to be had unless the Pistons unexpectedly decided to throw Cade Cunningham, this year's No. 1 overall pick, into the mix. Even then, the timeline Cunningham is on relative to Joel Embiid would make that a tough proposition for Philly to say yes to."
Simply put, there's just no way that the Pistons will agree to send their franchise cornerstone away, not even for Ben Simmons, and we don't see the Sixers ever getting anywhere near the value they want in return for their wantaway stud.
