The Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly unhappy with the trade offers they are currently receiving for All-Star point guard Ben Simmons.
“Internally, team sources view a lot of the reported offers floated around the league as transparent attempts to lower Simmons’ trade value below where it actually is,” wrote Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice. “The Sixers are uninterested in packages returning multiple role players and picks in exchange for Simmons, according to a source familiar with the situation. As one specific example, a source told PhillyVoice the Sixers would not even entertain a discussion with the Sacramento Kings save for the inclusion of guard De’Aaron Fox in a potential deal, which they view simply as a starting point for talks.”
It is becoming increasingly clear that the Sixers are still high on Simmons despite his recent struggles. While the team is clearly still shopping a trade for the 25-year-old, Philadelphia won’t be settling on any mediocre offers.
In the 2020-21 season, Simmons averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game while shooting 55.7 percent from the field. The campaign was a step back from the growth he displayed in the 2019-20 season.
Most NBA fans would agree that Simmons won’t be able to take his game to the next level until he develops a jump shot and learns to hit free throws. His inability to do either has caused a lot of people to question his work ethic.
At 6-foot-11, Simmons is a great defender, distributor and rebounder. Those are presumably some of the biggest reasons the Sixers are still high on the former first-round pick. However, the team’s exit from the 2021 NBA Playoffs was largely due to the play of Simmons. Following their exit from the playoffs, rumors of a potential trade started to spread.
The Sixers have made the playoffs in four consecutive seasons. The next time they play a game in the regular season, they could have a new-look roster.
