The Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons are embroiled in a conflict that doesn’t seem to have a light at the end of the tunnel. Simmons wants to be traded to a new team, but the 76ers do not want to trade him unless they get fair value back. It’s a situation very similar to the one with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
Figuring out what fair value is has been a challenge. Simmons has shortcomings offensively and they have been on full display during the postseason. Comments made following the team’s second-round exit at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks in June are a big reason they are at the point they are currently at.
Philadelphia has been making outlandish trade offers trying to get the most that they can for Simmons. If they are to trade him, those demands are going to have come down slightly, as no team is trading seven draft picks, multiple All-Stars or multiple lottery picks in combination with young players for him.
While Simmons has dug in on his demand to be traded, the organization is still holding out hope that he will change his mind and come back to play for them at least one more season.
Just like with the Packers’ situation, Rodgers wanted a trade from Green Bay but had little leverage in getting a deal done. The Packers waited him out and eventually, he returned to the team for at least one more season. It is what Daryl Morey and the 76ers are hoping happens with Simmons.
“Things can change fast, but league sources don’t sense that a deal is anywhere close right now. The Sixers still hope Simmons will return to the team so they can experiment with his role, or increase his value and help create more trade possibilities. On media day, Morey compared the Simmons situation to that of Aaron Rodgers, who threatened to leave the Green Bay Packers but ended up returning for one more season. The Sixers hope Simmons will choose to do the same.”
At this point, that seems like wishful thinking on the 76ers’ part. It has already been reported that Simmons is willing to sit out the entire season and forfeit his $33 million salary if he is not traded to a new team at some point.
That could be some hyperbole on Simmons’s part, but he does not seem to be bluffing. He knows that he is risking fines by not reporting to camp, yet he remains away from the organization.
This is something that will likely drag into the regular season unless someone steps up with an offer that blows away the 76ers’ front office. We will continue hearing a ton of rumors surrounding Ben Simmons in the coming weeks.
