Ben Simmons has been the talk of the league when it comes to trade buzz.
More developments have come to fruition regarding the Simmons’ offseason saga with Philadelphia opening up trade conversations and engaging with other teams regarding the former No. 1 pick. The Sixers are reportedly asking for an “All-Star-caliber player” in return.
In terms of interested teams, the Cavaliers, Pacers, Raptors, Timberwolves, and Kings are doing their due diligence on Simmons. One potential offer from the latter of those five teams mentioned is making its fair share of rounds through various fan pages while entertaining avid NBA trade buzz readers.
The Kings have expressed interest in the three-time All-Star, but De’Aaron Fox is reportedly off the table (via Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee), which could complicate some things, especially for Philly. It’s a no-brainer to seriously look into a Simmons trade and land a star player, like Fox’s caliber, in return, but with Sacramento unlikely to budge on that front, it’s time to work on the quantity of the deal if they won’t dive into the quality. Anderson with more on the Kings’ potential offer…
Sacramento would probably be willing to offer a package that includes Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley III, and one or more future first-round draft picks. One league source recently told The Bee the Kings would have to send a minimum of three first-round picks to the 76ers in a trade constructed around Hield and Bagley. Another source said the 76ers wouldn’t be interested unless Fox or Haliburton were included in the trade, but Hield’s elite 3-point shooting and Bagley’s unrealized potential could be appealing if a better deal doesn’t materialize
Although it may seem like a long shot, the reason why there could be a sense of hope is because Kings’ GM Monte McNair and Sixers president Daryl Morey spent 13 years together with the Houston Rockets. Does that mean anything is guaranteed? Certainly not, but it’s tough to imagine some old colleagues trying to make this a lopsided trade compared to a deal that would benefit both sides.
