The Philadelphia 76ers may be ramping up their efforts to trade Ben Simmons, and there are several teams that have expressed interest in the former first overall pick.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the Sixers are trying to facilitate multi-team trade scenarios involving Simmons. While the asking price remains high, there are at least seven teams that may want to acquire Simmons — the Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s unclear if the 76ers have had actual trade discussions with any of those teams.
Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has maintained that he is in no rush to deal Simmons. However, there have been reports recently that talks are heating up due to a key turning point in the NBA calendar, which takes place Wednesday.
Simmons has been adamant that he will never play for Philadelphia again. He has remained away from the team while dealing with what he says are mental health issues. Simmons may prefer to play for one specific head coach, but Morey insists on not moving the star point guard at a discounted rate.
Photo: Dec 27, 2019; Orlando, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) drives to the basket against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
