The Sixers continue to look for Ben Simmons trades and more names have emerged as potential centerpieces in a deal.
Philadelphia has interest in Pistons forward Jerami Grant, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The team has engaged in ongoing discussions with the Detroit Pistons to acquire Grant, another forward, a young player, and a draft pick in exchange for Simmons, league sources said. One source said power forward/center Kelly Olynyk and second-year swingman Saddiq Bey were mentioned as players who could be included in a possible deal. However, a source said the Pistons are unlikely to include Bey, a Villanova product, or Olynyk.
Pompey adds that the Sixers would preferably want a more “higher-profile player” than Grant back in a Simmons deal while mentioning that the two NBA franchises haven’t spoken “lately.”
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Sixers Still Eyeing James Harden
The Sixers continue to eye James Harden and some within the front office are “keen” on the idea of keeping Simmons throughout the season with the goal of offering him to Brooklyn in a Harden sign-and-trade come the offseason, per Pompey.
It’s no secret that Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has an affinity for Harden from their time together with the Houston Rockets.
Morey attempted to reunite with Harden last season, offering Simmons and Matisse Thybulle in a trade. However, the Rockets eventually traded him to the Nets, where the 2018 MVP formed a Big Three with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Philadelphia was in the running for Harden last season with Simmons being the rumored centerpiece in trade proposals to Houston. However, it was reported at the time that the Sixers were unwilling to match the Rockets’ asking price.
Harden will be a free agent at the end of the season after he and the Nets could not agree on an extension by this year’s deadline.
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