The Philadelphia 76ers may be open to trading Ben Simmons this offseason, but it sounds like they have attached an extremely high asking price to the former first overall pick.
Jason Dumars of Bleacher Report was told that the 76ers have informed teams they will not trade Simmons unless an All-Star caliber player is included in the deal. They have reportedly turned down an offer from the Indiana Pacers that included Malcolm Brogdon and a first-round pick.
The Sixers have already fielded offers for Ben Simmons but continue to hold a stance that they will only trade him for an all-star caliber player. They most recently turned down a deal with the Pacers that included Malcolm Brogdon and a 1st round pick.
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) July 2, 2021
It’s hard to evaluate any deal without knowing the exact details, but that doesn’t sound like a bad offer from Indiana. While Simmons is a better player overall than Brogdon, he was exposed in the postseason for being inept offensively. Brogdon averaged a career-high 21.2 points per game, so at least he can score. He’s also an 88.7 percent free throw shooter.
Even if they are desperate to trade Simmons, the 76ers have to make it look like they’re content to keep him. Otherwise, they would have basically no leverage. Simmons struggled so badly in the playoffs that he was even thrown under the bus by one of his own teammates after Philly was eliminated. Given the circumstances, no one is going to believe the Sixers are totally opposed to trading him.
We know of one team that supposedly wants to make a strong run at Simmons, but it would not be a surprise if most potential suitors wait for the asking price to come down.
