There seems to be no resolution insight when it comes to the standoff between the Philadelphia 76ers and NBA All-Star Ben Simmons. Simmons remains away from the team without a timetable to return to action.
There has been little progress made whether it is by the team convincing Simmons to return to the court for the 76ers or on the trade front. Daryl Morey reportedly has a list of 20-30 players he would like to acquire in exchange for Simmons and is willing to wait things out for a team to meet their asking price.
With December 15th, when a large number of players will become eligible to be traded that signed contracts this past offseason, looming, could trade talks begin to heat up? Negotiations will become easier with a bigger player pool to choose from, but if the 76ers don’t budge on their asking price, we could be waiting a while for a move to be made.
There have been plenty of teams connected to Simmons since he requested his trade. The Indiana Pacers are known to have made an offer, while the Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, and Minnesota Timberwolves have all been linked to him.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This 76ers-Spurs Trade Sends Ben Simmons to San Antonio
We have heard that Simmons would prefer to go to one of the California teams and wouldn’t be thrilled about playing in Portland or Toronto. Could his list of preferred destinations be expanding?
According to Marc Stein, Simmons would welcome the chance to play with the San Antonio Spurs for legendary head coach Gregg Popovich. The update was shared at Marc Stein’s Substack.
“The Spurs also know that Popovich’s presence still resonates with many players more than anything else San Antonio has to offer as a destination. Example: I’ve heard that Ben Simmons would welcome the opportunity to play for Popovich if the Spurs found a way to acquire him”
Knowing that Simmons would be open to a deal could motivate San Antonio to be aggressive with an offer. But, figuring out what package it would take to acquire Simmons would be the difficult part for the Spurs.
The Philadelphia 76ers reportedly didn’t have interest in a package built around Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker IV before the season. Could their opinion change now that Murray is in the midst of a breakout season?
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This 76ers-Spurs Trade Sends Ben Simmons to San Antonio
It could be worth exploring again for the Spurs. Simmons has the talent to be one of the best players in the league. He is already an elite defender, rebounder, and playmaker, so there are things to work with there.
At 25-years old, there is still time for him to round out and develop the other aspects of his game. There aren’t many organizations better at developing talent than the San Antonio Spurs, making them a great landing spot for Simmons should he be traded.
