The Philadelphia 76ers still remain to be in a situation where NBA All-Star Ben Simmons needs to be moved, but the type of trade target they seek is just not available. Talks with teams like the Sacramento Kings just simply do not end up amounting to much.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sacramento Kings have ‘ended their pursuit’ of a Ben Simmons trade and have turned their attention elsewhere.
The Sacramento Kings — one of the most aggressive teams in the trade market and once an eager suitor for Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons — have ended their pursuit of a deal with the 76ers and turned elsewhere in trade talks, sources told ESPN on Friday.
Inside of two weeks until the Feb. 10 NBA trade deadline, the Kings believe the asking price is too steep and that a pathway to a trade agreement with the Sixers doesn’t exist, sources said.
It seems clear the Kings’ pathway to a trade for Ben Simmons revolves around the Sixers’ interest in De’Aaron Fox as a trade target. Sacramento clearly does not hold him in nearly as high of a regard from the perspective of being worthwhile for a Simmons trade.
The Kings could theoretically put together a combination of players like Harrison Barnes, Buddy Hield, and perhaps a young player like Tyrese Haliburton or Davion Mitchell in a Simmons trade package. But, once again, the Sixers want an elite talent, not a variety of different complementary pieces.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Ben Simmons Remains In Contact With These Two Teams
The Philadelphia 76ers have become increasingly linked to James Harden as a potential sign-and-trade destination in the offseason. His ties to the organization are well known at this point between Daryl Morey and Michael Ruben.
Unless a talent like Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal were to demand a trade out of the blue, it seems clear that James Harden will be the top priority for the Philadelphia 76ers and holding onto Ben Simmons through the NBA trade deadline would be necessary to get that done.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Ben Simmons Remains In Contact With These Two Teams
As for the Sacramento Kings, pursuing a player like Jerami Grant could be a solid alternative path to take. They’d need to willing to pay him $100 million on his next deal and feature him a lot offensively, but adding impactful talents isn’t easy to do for a small market team, so it’s worth consideration.
