It appears that embattled Philadelphia 76ers star guard Ben Simmons is no closer to a return after sitting out the first 39 games of the NBA season.
Simmons has been away from the Sixers after an off-season filled with a trade request and further rifts between the three-time All-Star and his organization.
Now comes this note from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski indicating that Simmons’ camp, led by agent Rich Paul, met with Philadelphia’s brass on Wednesday. The report says that nothing has changed in the disconnect and that the 76ers are “determined to bring back a significant player in (a) trade.”
It now seems rather clear that Ben Simmons has in fact played his final game as a member of the 76ers’ organization.
The former first-round pick stepped away from the team early in the season due to mental health issues. That came after he sat out training camp and the preseason, leading to both extensive fines and a suspension being levied in the 25-year-old’s direction.
Related: Updated NBA trade rumors
With less than a month to go before the NBA trade deadline, it seems rather obvious that Philadelphia will do whatever is in its power to move the All-Star guard. Meeting with his reps at this stage in the calendar year is a tell.
The question now becomes whether a team will offer up a package to the liking of front office head Daryl Morey. Previously, Philadelphia overshot its asking price in a Simmons trade. That included demanding four first-round picks, James Wiseman and Andrew Wiggins from the Golden State Warriors.
Now, it appears that Morey and Co. have backed off that hard line stance. He now has roughly 25 players he’s willing to trade Simmons for.
Previous reports indicated that the 76ers are looking to potentially attach Tobias Harris and his contract in any potential Simmons trade. That could complicate things given Harris’ five-year, $180 million contract. It could also lead to a broader three-team trade.
Related: Ideal Ben Simmons trade scenarios
While Harris’ contract is not necessarily a net negative, he’s a darn good player. The former first-round pick is averaging 18.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists on 46% shooting this season.
As for Simmons, there’s been interest in his services over the past several months. Most recently, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings have been bandied about as potential destinations.
Any deal sending Simmons to Minneapolis would include D’Angelo Russell and other parts heading to Philadelphia. Meanwhile, De’Aaron Fox would likely be part of a deal sending Simmons to California’s capital city.
Stay tuned. This promises to get real interesting ahead of the February 10 NBA trade deadline.