NBA Trade Rumors: Minnesota Timberwolves among 6 teams still interested in Ben Simmons
The Ben Simmons saga in Philadelphia is one of the messiest divorces in the NBA's recent memory. The three-time All-Star has declared he has no intention of ever playing for the Philadelphia 76ers again and has refused to maintain any form of communication with the front office.
Simmons has been fined for missing training camp and will also not get paid for games he misses. But the guard is reportedly alright with leaving millions on the table and feels his relationship with Joel Embiid and the franchise has run its course.
Ben Simmons has basically forced the Philadelphia 76ers to look for a trade partner. His value has taken a huge dip since the 2021 NBA Playoffs and it is understandable that the Sixers are struggling to find a destination for him.
76ers President Daryl Morey isn't going to trade Simmons unless he gets significant assets in return. However, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that several teams are still interested in the All-Defensive player. He said:
"A league source said the Timberwolves, Pacers, Cavaliers, Pistons, Raptors and Spurs are still inquiring about Ben Simmons’ availability."
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been inquiring about Simmons ever since he demanded a trade out of Philadelphia. The Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs have joined the party. The reality is that Simmons is just 25-years-old and doesn't necessarily need to go to a team in championship or win-now mode.
The Raptors, Pacers, and Spurs have the potential to make the playoffs again if they add Simmons. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers and Pistons are rebuilding and would love to have a young All-Star on their roster.
Ben Simmons' situation in Philadelphia is getting out of hand
It is hard to recall a situation that went from bad to worse in a matter of few days. The Philadelphia 76ers were saying all the right things in front of the media, with statements such as "we want him back" and "we can win with him" being issued by the team's players.
They even scheduled a flight to Los Angeles to meet up with Simmons and attempt to convince him to return, but the player refused to meet them.
Ben Simmons then made a statement claiming he could no longer play with Joel Embiid and the duo's partnership had run its course. These words evidently hurt Embiid, who retaliated by saying the Sixers had done everything possible to build around Simmons.
Video of Joel Embiid's candid comments about Ben Simmons today:
"Our teams have always been built around [Ben's] needs. ... The situation is weird, disappointing, borderline kind of disrespectful to all the guys that are out here." https://t.co/Z8olfesz5Y
This essentially ended all possibility of a Simmons-Sixers reunion and to make matters worse, the team publicly withheld his $8.25 million payment. The locker room will never recover from the harsh words exchanged between the players, and even the front office now seems disinterested in bringing Ben Simmons back.
.@WindhorstESPN says the 76ers not paying Ben Simmons is a "declaration of war." https://t.co/DSmBpdrIAn