At this point, everybody knows the gist of what is going on between Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers. Everybody knows that Simmons wants out, but the Sixers are not going to just trade him for anything as they want a legitimate star in return.
Simmons is unlikely to play for the Sixers even when the Feb. 10 trade deadline passes and there is no deal. Therefore, some would believe that the Sixers have to move Simmons in order to get some help for Joel Embiid to go after a championship right now.
However, with the way Embiid is playing and how the Sixers have quickly shot up the standings, president Daryl Morey and company feel as if they can definitely wait on a Simmons deal until the offseason.
Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on the latest episode of “The Woj Pod”:
Philadelphia and Daryl Morey are, I think, they feel emboldened. I really do think they’re emboldened to go into the summer with this thing and I do think they’ll engage with teams, but right now, I don’t see anybody who is like, ‘We have to get Ben Simmons at the trade deadline. We need him the rest of the way this season.’ You don’t know what you’ll get from him this year and I think that probably keeps Philly from getting some overwhelming offer that they feel like they have to take and they don’t want to hold off till the summer, but that, again, it can change.
The Sixers will certainly engage with teams on a Simmons deal, but it is very unlikely that he gets moved right now. Philadelphia obviously has their eyes set on James Harden over the summer and that is where Morey and the front office will make their move.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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