"There are a lot of teams who want him, but I don't know there's anybody who thinks we can't live without him" - Adrian Wojnarowski reveals the latest on the Ben Simmons saga
Guard Ben Simmons' standoff with the Philadelphia 76ers in all likelihood will continue until the end of the season as neither party is willing to concede.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, there aren't many NBA teams desperate to add Simmons. Wojnarowski, speaking on "The Woj Pod," said:
"There are a lot of teams who want him, but I don't know there's anybody who thinks,'We can't live without him; we have to get him,' and you're seeing that play out."
Wojnarowski continued:
"They certainly don't value him at the level that Philly has wanted in trade packages. Other teams, they feel like not only is the asking price too high from Philly, but even if it went down, some of it will still be too high, it won't get enough down for them to make a deal."
It looks like Simmons will spend the rest of the season on the books of the 76ers. Whether he returns to the team or not is a million-dollar question as he continues to push for an exit from the organization.
The Woj Pod with @ramonashelburne goes inside the Sixers-Ben Simmons standoff, including new details, the impact on Joel Embiid, possibility of Simmons playing post-trade deadline, much more.
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What are teams getting with the acquisition of Ben Simmons?
Ben Simmons is an All-Star caliber player and has been dubbed the second coming of LeBron James if he can develop a threat from beyond the arc. That's how good Simmons is, and a lot of folks around the NBA seem to have forgotten about that because of his performance against the Atlanta Hawks in last season's Eastern Conference semifinals.
Simmons, for his career, is averaging 15.1 points. 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game while shooting 56.0%. Last season, he recorded four triple-doubles and 13 double-doubles. His best performance last season came against the Utah Jazz, when he dropped 42 points while being guarded by Rudy Gobert, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
: @sixers)New career-high for Ben Simmons. 🔥
(🎥: @sixers)
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Simmons is arguably the NBA's best defensive player as he can guard all five positions with ease because of his ability to read plays, great footwork and fast hands. He uses his 6-foot-11 size and length to his advantage on the defensive end.
The Australian is a quintessential point guard who can orchestrate the offense and set his teammates up with open looks while attacking the rim.
His lack of shooting continues to be a problem and thwarts his development into an MVP-caliber player. But if a team can surround him with shooters, like the Milwaukee Bucks did with Giannis Antetokounmpo, then they can build a championship-caliber team around him.