This weekend, the Sacramento Kings traveled to Philadelphia for a Saturday night matchup against the 76ers. Not only did this game turn out to be thrilling in its own right, but there were also some interesting storylines off the court Sixers fans need to be aware of.
The entire basketball community has kept watch on the Sixers for one reason, to see what is going to happen with Ben Simmons. After requesting a trade back this past summer, the three-time All-Star has yet to suit up in a game as he awaits a change of scenery.
Throughout this saga, multiple teams have engaged with the Sixers in hopes of getting a deal done. One of the most consistent suitors for the former no. 1 pick was the Kings. Sacramento has made it clear they are all in on ending their playoff drought and saw Simmons as someone who might be able to change the franchise's misfortunes.
Daryl Morey has maintained a firm asking price for Simmons and has no intentions of budging. Until an All-Star caliber player to pair alongside Joel Embiid becomes available, he will remain patient. This steep asking price for the 25-year-old point guard led to Sacramento ending its pursuit of Simmons earlier this week.
With all the buzz surrounding these two teams, it added some extra juice to Saturday's game. On top of that, one Kings' player may have gone out and made a statement with his performance.
Like he's done for over a month now, Embiid dazzled as he led the Sixers to their fourth-straight victory. The All-Star center was not the only player to go off for a big night as Tyrese Haliburton left it all on the floor in an attempt to steal a win for Sacramento.
In 40 minutes of action, the 21-year-old racked up 38 points, three rebounds, seven assists, and three steals against the Sixers. He also shot the ball with great efficiency, hitting 11 of his 19 shot attempts and 11 of his 12 free throws.
While he is only in his second season, this was arguably one of Haliburton's best games as a pro. His points, free-throws made, and free-throws attempted were all career-highs. The former lottery pick also hit an array of shots in the final minutes to put the Kings in a position to walk away victorious.
Haliburton probably didn't view Saturday as an audition but certainly got a point across. If the Sixers didn't see him as a premier young talent before, they do now.
When Morey appeared on the radio earlier this month, he admitted there were deals on the table with Sacramento for Simmons. He then went on to note that for a deal to happen, another team would likely need to be involved.
The sophomore guard proved to everyone in the Wells Fargo Center Saturday night that his game has room to grow. If a trade doesn't happen before February 10th, Haliburton is a name Morey should re-consider when talks ramp back up in the offseason.
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