The Philadelphia 76ers are still looking to resolve the Ben Simmons situation as the calendar turns to 2022. The Sixers (18-16) are sixth in the Eastern Conference despite battling plenty of the adversity.
The Simmons saga has loomed over the Sixers all season. It is obvious they miss him on the floor, but they also miss the players that will be obtained in any deal. Therefore, they are not playing up to their preseason expectations.
While some might believe the Sixers could punt this season to set up a run at James Harden in the offseason, league executives believe the Sixers will act at the trade deadline.
Per John Hollinger of The Athletic:
Despite the Sixers’ bluster to the contrary, the consensus opinion around the league remains that Philadelphia is more likely to act at the trade deadline than carry this all the way through till next summer, so as to avoid punting on a year of Joel Embiid’s prime. The counterargument is that the Sixers, as presently constituted, have been unimpressive enough that it might not hurt much to wait.
It will be interesting to see if any stars shake free at the deadline in any Simmons deal. While the Sixers still have their eyes set on somebody like Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal, those are unlikely scenarios considering how important those two players are to their respective franchises.
The Sixers want to seriously contend for a title while Embiid is still upright and healthy. The big key for them is finding the right All-Star to partner with the big fella to properly compete with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets in the East. If Simmons will not return and play for the Sixers, they need to act and not waste another season of Embiid’s prime.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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