We are roughly one month away from the start of training camp on Sept. 28, and the NBA season is not far behind. With the main flurry of free agency in the rearview mirror and no Damian Lillard trade on the horizon, all eyes are on Ben Simmons and the Sixers.
In a recent episode of The Hoop Collective Podcast, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst gave an update on All-Star’s current trade market.
"“The intelligence [from] the teams that have talked to Philly is they are not, right now, in the mode for trading Ben Simmons. It doesn’t mean that he’s not available, but right now it does not appear there are any active discussions for trading Ben Simmons — and I think Ben is preparing to start the season with Philadelphia.”"
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— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) August 27, 2021
The Ben Simmons trade market has seemingly halted, at least for the time being, with the Sixers unable to field serious trade offers.
This does not come as a total shock. The rumored possibility of Simmons returning for the regular season (or at least part of the regular season) has been floating around for weeks. Training camp is close, and if the Sixers remain unwilling to part with Simmons without receiving another All-Star in return, then the list of potential landing spots practically vanishes.
It is clear Daryl Morey still holds a high opinion of Simmons, as he should. The 25-year-old is a remarkable two-way talent who can help a lot of teams win games (Philly included). If teams continue to low-ball Philadelphia, and there’s no pressure from ownership or the newly-extended Joel Embiid to trade him, then the potential harm of bringing Simmons back is minimal. It will feel temporary and awkward, but it’s better than swapping him for pennies on the dollar.
The most notable segment of Windhorst’s quote is that Simmons is “preparing to start the season with Philadelphia.” That silences a lot of the chatter around a potential holdout, which has been speculated about, but never firmly reported. Simmons does not have a ton of leverage in this situation, and with four years left on his contract, a holdout never felt entirely plausible.
This report does not mean you should rule out a Simmons trade before the season. The NBA moves fast, and it doesn’t take long for deals to come together. Once upon a time, the Wizards said there was no plan to trade John Wall. A week later, he was a Houston Rocket. All it takes is one phone call that catches Morey’s ear, or one desperate GM who feels the pressure mounting ahead of camp.
That said, you should also prepare — mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually — for Simmons to wear a Sixers uniform in the 2021-22 season. That feels distinctly possible if we’re reading the tea leaves, so to speak. That home opener against Brooklyn could get reaaaaaaally weird.