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The Philadelphia 76ers appear to have irked Ben Simmons to the point of no return.
Not that there was much of a chance that Simmons would remain in Philly, but according to Bleacher Report NBA reporter Jason Dumas, Simmons has “cut off communication” with the Sixers and hopes to go to the Golden State Warriors:
Well, that escalated quickly.
To be quite honest, neither the Sixers front office nor Simmons are operating with any sort of reality in mind.
What’s meant by that is, Philadelphia’s rumored asking price for the brick-throwing 25-year-old was laughably astronomical. Meanwhile, Simmons now appears to be under the impression that he can dictate the destination he’d prefer, and get his way.
Sorry sir, but if you shoot 34.2% from the free throw line in the playoffs and you’re an NBA point guard, you lose pretty much any and all leverage regardless of your myriad other skills on the basketball court.
Check out where the 76ers and Warriors rank in our NBA power rankings
Updated look at potential Ben Simmons trade to Golden State Warriors
- 76ers get: Kelly Oubre Jr. (sign-and-trade), Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins
- Warriors get: Ben Simmons
In all likelihood, the assets Golden State is willing to part with aren’t going to be appealing enough for Philadelphia GM Daryl Morey to give up on Simmons. Again, unclear where Morey’s mind is at right now, but rumor had it that, prior to the NBA Draft, the Sixers wanted four first-round picks, James Wiseman and Andrew Wiggins from the Warriors.
Kick rocks! Who does Morey think he’s negotiating with? Bob Myers is a little smarter than that.
Now, this trade scenario is dependent on Oubre agreeing to go to Philly — why wouldn’t he? — on a deal somewhere in the range of $15 million per year.
Click here to see where Ben Simmons ranks in our list of top 50 NBA players
Having Oubre and Wiggins on the wing would help the Sixers offset the loss of Simmons’ presence there defensively. Plus, that’d allow Golden State to get something for Oubre instead of letting him walk for nothing in free agency.
Because the Sixers don’t have many capable lead ball-handlers remaining with Simmons out, they could always flip Oubre and/or Wiggins, involve a third team in this transaction, and land a different start point guard. Right now, we’re dealing with the Warriors and Sixers only.
Maybe Myers sweetens the above offer with a first-round pick or two, or prioritizes sending picks to keep a promising young player in Poole. In any event, if a Simmons deal does go down for Golden State, it’ll have to happen soon.