NBA Rumors: 76ers Ben Simmons trade request to Cavs revealed
By Josh Hill
The Cavaliers and Sixers had a conversation about a potential Ben Simmons trade, and the request from Daryl Morey is insane.
As the NBA Draft approaches, and right behind it NBA Free Agency, the rumor mill is spinning at a ferocious rate.
One of the biggest names being tossed into the fire is Ben Simmons, the Philadelphia 76ers guard who it appears is on his way out. It’s not just this past postseason that ended Simmons time in Philly, rather a build-up over the years in combination with the fact that teams around the league want to try and fix the former No. 1 pick.
While the Sixers are very clearly going to trade Simmons at some point, Daryl Morey is taking his time. In fact, there’s such a lack of urgency in trading Simmons that any talks happening ahead of the draft are borderline trolls.
According to Zach Harper from The Athletic, the Cavaliers and Sixers had a discussion about a potential Ben Simmons swap but it was both brief and absolutely insane.
In what is truly a miraculous feat, Philly somehow rejected its own trade by making it as preposterous as possible.
No, seriously:
"League sources said brief conversations between Cleveland and Philadelphia were explored, but an asking price of every young player the Cavs value plus multiple first-round picks in the future wasn’t something they’d consider."
Record-scratch and rewind that back.
"asking price of every young player the Cavs value plus multiple first-round picks in the future wasn’t something they’d consider."
There are two key things to take away from this trade discussion. One is that Daryl Morey is a master troll and needs to lead a Sloan-style conference where he teaches his ways. The other is that it’s becoming pretty clear that a Ben Simmons trade is not going to happen anytime soon.
Philly is not, nor should it be, in any rush to trade Simmons. The last look we had of Simmons is a rough one, but Morey knows he has one of the league’s most valuable trade chips regardless of whether or not it can hit a free throw.
Nothing in this draft is so valuable that it demands a rush job on a Simmons trade. There’s plenty of time for the Sixers to see how the draft dust settles and then move forward into the offseason with plans on landing star players in return for Simmons.
Case-in-point, the Timberwolves have been closely tied to Simmons in rumors but they do not have a first-round pick this year. Everything the Sixers could get from Minnesota will be there on Friday morning in the aftermath of the draft.
There is zero reason to rush this process, and it’s clear that the person who understands that best is calling the shots.