Ben Simmons wants out of Philly, but it is clear team president Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers have no plans of letting him go for cheap.
Recently, the Sixers reportedly demanded a trade package of CJ McCollum, three first-round picks and three pick swaps from the Portland Trail Blazers for Simmons. Of course Portland turned down the ridiculous counter, as it basically meant sacrificing their future for a talented but unproven star.
Furthermore, the Sixers also don't seem to be that much interested in a trade package headlined by Caris LeVert and Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers, with Marc Stein reporting that they are “unmoved” by the said idea.
Apparently, though, there is a reason for all of it: the Sixers are not giving up hope they can get a superstar player for Simmons.
“No matter how unrealistic it sounds, Portland's Damian Lillard remains the type of starry target [Daryl] Morey seeks,” Stein wrote in his latest newsletter on Substack.
With the kind of value Ben Simmons has right now, getting a star player in exchange seems unlikely for the Sixers. After all, why would teams want to give up a superstar for a player who already wants out? Philly just doesn't have that kind of leverage, and it doesn't help that the Australian playmaker himself is firm on his stance not to play for Philadelphia ever again.
Perhaps the Sixers are waiting for another disgruntled star to request a trade before they pounce, but there is a risk of that not happening and they see Simmons' value further drop.
It's all but a waiting game right now for Daryl Morey, the Sixers and Ben Simmons, and by the looks of it, the holdout can extend during the season.
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