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The biggest bombshell from Shams’ report on Tuesday was about Simmons.
In this report, Athleticism said the 76ers are open to business regarding a potential trade with Simmons and have had such discussions with teams in the league before:
The 76ers opened business conversations around Simmons and engaged with teams, sources told The Athletic. These sources also say that the teams who engaged with the 76ers over Simmons have encountered a high price point for the triple All-Star.
The report also contradicted what many believed, that Simmons could be bought for less than normal right now after a brutal playoff showing to end his 2020-21 campaign. In fact, by Athleticism, the opposite is true and interest in the league-wide left-handed league remains high:
“(The 76ers) want an All-Star caliber player back,” said a source familiar with the ongoing talks. Make no mistake: the league’s interest in Simmons remains strong. He’s just 25 this month, was a member of the All-NBA team in 2019-2020, is a two-time member of the All-Defensive first team and a winner of the Rookie of the Year award. Simmons is on contract until 2025, which makes him the type of superstar talent that rarely becomes available at an affordable price at this point in his career.
new York Times reporter Marc Stein would make a similar report later on Tuesday, saying that Simmons’ contract, which will keep him locked up until 2024-2025 and pay him an average annual value of around $ 35.5 million, is actually viewed as positive by potential business suitors:
Simmons’ contract length, if not the dollars, only adds to his appeal to teams that generally don’t attract free agents. He has four seasons left on his nearly $ 150 million contract – and the team control that comes with that status, in most cases, is bound to outweigh any worries teams might have about the game. pressure that Simmons’ agent, Rich Paul, can apply to dissuade them from pursuing him.
Stein also specifically mentioned the teams he hears as having an interest in Simmons: the Cavaliers, Kings, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors.
A fascinating situation to watch out for outside of Philadelphia, as it looks like we have our star level player most likely to be traded this offseason, Simmons, who never turned out to be a very good fit next to Joel Embiid and, where appropriate, regressed under Doc Rivers in their first year together.
Although with a frame like his, playing and ball handling skills like him, and some quite special defensive attributes, Simmons would be a welcome addition to just about any roster in the Association.
It will be interesting to see what the Sixers can get for Simmons if they manage to move him during the offseason. Will he be a superstar? Or will it be a mine of assets?
Our own Yossi Gozlan recently broke down what the trading market might look like for Simmons, whether it’s if Philadelphia shifts the talented guard for an available superstar, an All-Star, or draft assets.
For now, however, we are waiting to see which major trade will rock the market as the 2021 offseason approaches – which could be filled with trade actions due to a low free agent class and a low. limited space around the league.
For the latest commercial booms from Ben Simmons, click here.
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