Dating back to the summer, the Philadelphia 76ers have found themselves in one of the league's craziest storylines. Following a lackluster performance against the Atlanta Hawks in the postseason, Ben Simmons formally requested a trade. Despite an array of teams interested, Sixers president Daryl Morey never found a return of equal value for the former no. 1 pick.

Simmons made his intentions clear of not wanting to play in Philadelphia again and has stuck to his word. We are now past the halfway point of the regular season and the three-time All-Star still hasn't suited up in a game.

With a little over two weeks to go until the NBA trade deadline, Morey has a big decision on his hands. He can either move Simmons for the best package available or carry this stalemate into another offseason for the Sixers. Based on some of the latest news, it feels unlikely a deal happens before February 10th.

Throughout this saga, many agreed with Morey's stance of being patient. However, some have changed their mind following Joel Embiid's recent stretch. The All-Star big man is playing at an elite level and planted himself right back in the MVP discussion. With each dominant performance, people do not want to see this transcendent season thrown the wayside.

One person who wants to see a trade surface before the deadline is former Sixers sharpshooter JJ Redick. He agrees Embiid is on an other-worldly level right now, and the team must be aggressive in improving the supporting cast around him. In a recent episode of his podcast The Old Man and the Three, Redick gave his take on what the Sixers' mindset should be in the coming weeks.

“There are some young players around the league who get a lot of hype that I don't think are capable right now in their career of being the number one guy on a championship-level team. Luka [Doncic] is that Joel [Embiid] is that, take advantage of that year. There is a window right now. Take advantage, be aggressive,” said Redick.

Redick makes a lot of valid points, but some things are out of the Sixers' control in this situation. The trade market has not been as fruitful as Morey may have hoped. Trading Simmons now for a lesser package might make a slight difference this season but could dramatically impact the type of move they can make down the line.

In the current landscape of the NBA, star talent is needed to compete for a championship. Acquiring multiple role players might bolster the Sixers' roster but would still put them in a tier below teams like the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks. Not to mention they'd lose their biggest trade chip months before an array of stars might become available via sign-and-trade.

There is no denying Embiid has what it takes to lead a team to a title, but moving Simmons for anything less than a star would be a bigger waste to his prime than staying put at the deadline.