Rock | Sixers | Hard Place.
That is where the Sixers find themselves, with Ben Simmons now officially holding out and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul simultaneously trying to swing a trade for his other Philly client, Tyrese Maxey.
While panic is not the right response — the Sixers have no real pressure to deal Maxey — the wording of Jason Dumas’ report is concerning.
Source: There’s a high chance that Tyrese Maxey will be a part of any Ben Simmons trade.
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) August 31, 2021
Rich Paul would like both of his clients out of Philadelphia.
There’s a high chance Maxey will be involved in any Simmons trade.
It’s easy for Sixer fans to sit back and say, logically, the Sixers have no reason to trade Maxey. That said, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and no agent is better at starting fires than Rich Paul. This stuff doesn’t typically leak out of nowhere, and players don’t normally back out of community events on a whim.
A few local Philadelphia based organizations had planned on partnering with Maxey on some community events. They were told to cancel those plans. Paul would not like Maxey to grow roots in Philly if he could be gone.
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) August 31, 2021
There is a real chance a Ben Simmons trade will include Tyrese Maxey, whether the Sixers like it or not.
The fandom must prepare for a Simmons-plus-Maxey trade, whether it makes logical sense or not. One report from Jason Dumas does not make a trade, but it’s clear Klutch Sports is undergoing a serious operation to get the heck out of Philly. Unfortunately, that could mean Maxey is caught in the crosshairs. Heck, maybe Maxey even wants out. You can never really know a player’s true desire.
Let us fire up the trade machine accordingly, and decipher what fair value would be for the Sixers’ two best point guards. Daryl Morey’s high asking price has been consistently unmet by teams around the league, but Maxey’s inclusion in rumors could tempt some front offices to get more aggressive. Both can contribute now, and both can anchor a rebuild.
Here’s what I got.