It remains to be seen whether Ben Simmons has played his last game for the Sixers, though one rival scout who “remains in Simmons’ corner” tells Marc Narducci of The Philadelphia Inquirer that trading the 24-year-old is not the answer for Daryl Morey’s club.
“I would be damned to give up on him and not get superior talent back,” the scout said while sharing what he would do to support the Simmons-Joel Embiid duo: sign Kyle Lowry.
“I would move heaven and earth to try to bring him home,” the scout said of bringing Lowry to Philadelphia. “He would be a natural for this team, a strong leader, and somebody who could take over the ballhandling load.”
The Sixers attempted to pry Lowry from the Raptors prior to the trade deadline but Toronto opted to hold onto the point guard. Lowry is a free agent this summer, though a sign-and-trade remains possible, which is what Philadelphia would likely need in order to bring the Villanova product back to town.
As for Simmons, the Sixers are reportedly open to trading him and some within the organization believe the writing is on the wall with regard to his future with the franchise.
More NBA Trade Rumors
- The Cavs have interest in Simmons but there’s “no chance” that the Sixers would be interested in a trade package that has Collin Sexton as the centerpiece, per Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. Simmons’ value remains high around the league, as FortyEightMinutes recently reported, and any Cavaliers deal for the 2016 No. 1 overall pick would likely require a third team to get involved.
- The Knicks have Sexton on their trade radar and there is a sense the Cavaliers guard could be traded prior to the NBA Draft on July 29, Marc Berman of the New York Post hears. Berman adds that Cleveland would want 2020 No. 8 overall pick Obi Toppin back as part of the package that they are sent.
- The Pacers are willing to give up the No. 13 pick in the upcoming draft for a player who can contribute right away, J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star hears. Indiana and Houston had talks about the selection, presumably about Eric Gordon heading to the Pacers since the team is targeting players with at least two seasons remaining on their contract.
