The Philadelphia 76ers continue to engage with teams about potential trades involving Ben Simmons, but it sounds like their asking price is still an issue.
The Portland Trail Blazers are among the teams the Sixers have had discussions with, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports. CJ McCollum is a player that Philadelphia might want, but the Blazers balked at a recent proposal from the Sixers. According to Charania, Philly asked for three first-round picks and three draft swaps. The Pacers rejected the offer, and it’s unclear if they even bothered to counter.
While Simmons has maintained that he will never play for the 76ers again, head coach Doc Rivers and team executives are hoping they can convince him to report to camp. That likely has more to do with portraying an image of organizational stability than it does with the Sixers actually wanting Simmons back next season.
The Indiana Pacers are another team that has shown interest in Simmons. They are willing to offer a top player in the deal, but draft pick compensation is probably an issue there as well.
Simmons will eventually have to report to Philly if he wants to get paid, though he could be eyeing a loophole to avoid future fines.
