Daryl Morey wasted no time shooting down Ben Simmons trade rumors.
ESPN reported on Thursday that the Philadelphia 76ers have shown a willingness to include Simmons in trade talks with the Houston Rockets surrounding James Harden. However, they said those talks haven’t gone anywhere.
Not long after news of the trade report came out, Morey responded.
“We are not trading Ben Simmons — he is an important part of our future,” Morey said, via Shams Charania.
Morey was recently hired to head the 76ers’ basketball operations. It’s in his interest to shoot down the rumors. One, saying that sends the message to Houston that Philly won’t be a pushover in trade talks. Two, and more importantly, it could help comfort Simmons, who might not like being included in the rumors.
Simmons was the No. 1 overall pick by Philly in 2016 and is entering his fourth season of playing in the league (he missed his rookie season due to injury). Many around the league are still waiting for him to develop into the dominant two-way player many envisioned when he came out of LSU.
As for the trade talks, we know just how much Morey loves Harden, so it’s no surprise he’s trying to get his man.
