"Daryl Morey and the Sixers are dug in; They will not crumble like the Rockets did with Harden" - Skip Bayless shares his sharp stance on the Ben Simmons situation
The Ben Simmons soap opera continues to drag on. Both the player's camp and the 76ers management led by former Houston Rockets top exec Daryl Morey, remain firm in their stances while attempting to convince the other side to let go.
The situation is soon turning into a zero-sum game where only one side benefits. The Sixers are determined to let Simmons go only if they can get back someone of the caliber of Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal.
Meanwhile, Ben seems determined to leave after most likely playing his last game for the Sixers during the 2020-21 post-season.
Daryl Morey is one of the savviest executives that we have seen in the game. He believes in getting maximum value with minimum investment and is generally seen as a GM who takes calculated risks. Thinking that he would cede to pressure and let Ben Simmons go after being backed into a corner and lowballed with an offer below expectations, is a situation that you can largely bet against.
Morey recently explained his and the organization's stance on the Simmons trade. He made it abundantly clear that he would let Simmons go only if they received a difference maker in return.
There were reactions puring in for Daryl Morey's comments on a sports radio show. Analysts and former players backed the executive's stance on the trade saga. Chief among them being television personality Skipp Bayless, known for his controversial takes.
Bayless advocated the exec's stance on the situation, while comparing it to the Houston Rockets' situation with James Harden. He said that the 76ers wouldn't fold unlike the Rockets. Here's what he had to say while appearing on on on FS1's Skipp and Shannon: Undisputed:
Daryl Morey and the Sixers are dug in. They will not crumble like the Rockets did with Harden. Morey said if you want to fake a back injury Ben, go home because we're not going to move a finger to trade you yet. He made perfect sense.
"Daryl Morey and the Sixers are dug in. They will not crumble like the Rockets did with Harden. Morey said if you want to fake a back injury Ben, go home because we're not going to move a finger to trade you yet. He made perfect sense."
— @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/PpFLp8TwvA
The situation does not look like it is going to be resolved anytime soon with neither side willing to let go.
What is Daryl Morey's and the 76ers stance on trading Ben Simmons?
The Ben Simmons saga looks like it might turn uglier by the minute with neither side willing to budge, creating a tense and toxic environment where nobody benefits.
The 76ers and their top exec Daryl Morey have made their stance clear to Simmons' camp and the rest of the league. They have made it clear that they would consider trading him only if they got a superstar caliber player in return. If not, he will have to suit up and get to ready to play the season out with them, which would again work in their favor in a loaded Eastern Conference.
Daryl Morey appeared on 97.5 Fanatic's Mike Missanelli Show to explain the situation and make his stance clear. He re-emphasized the point that Ben Simmons would have to play out the season and that a trade would be possible only if they got a difference maker in return. Here is what he had to say:
You’re going to think I’m kidding, but I’m not. This could be 4 years. We’re in the prime of Joel (Embiid’s) career. Either Ben Simmons will play well for us and help us win a championship, or we have to get back a difference-maker for Ben Simmons. Or this could be 4 years from now, and we say, ‘hey, we took the best shot that we could.
Yesterday Daryl Morey joined Mike Missanelli and he did NOT hold back
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It looks abundantly clear that Ben Simmons will have to eventually push his feelings aside and play the season out. A blockbuster trade looks highly unlikely unless something drastic happens.