Another day, another Ben Simmons update in Philadelphia. After being suspended for the Philadelphia 76ers' season opener for conduct detrimental to the team, and failing to appear at an individual workout Thursday afternoon, it's clear he's not thrilled to be back in the City of Brotherly Love.
But while Simmons does his best at making it clear he doesn't want to be there, Sixers general manager Daryl Morey has been unflinching on his stance to hold out for the right trade. He echoed that sentiment Thursday afternoon during a radio appearance on "The Mike Missanelli Show."
"There are people down on Ben Simmons and there are good reasons for that I think from multiple perspectives both on the court and off," Morey said. "But the reality is this guy's a multi-time All-Star, unless the coaches in the league who voted for him have lost their minds and don't know what an All-Star is anymore. He's one of the most impactful defensive players in the league.
"This is a very good player, and to give ourselves the best chance to win the title you need difference makers, you don't need role players. Right now, any sort of trade, which obviously Ben Simmons wants, the best thing we could do is get role players back. That makes no sense, that will give us no better chance to win the title if we were to move Ben Simmons for role players."
It's no secret that the Sixers haven't been able to find a willing trade partner to meet their demands, which is still an All-Star-caliber player and multiple first-round picks in exchange for Simmons. The Portland Trail Blazers reportedly turned down a proposal that would've sent guard CJ McCollum to Philadelphia, as well as three first-round picks and three pick swaps in exchange for Simmons. The Indiana Pacers were a team that were reportedly showing interest in the All-Star guard, but Philly wasn't interested in a deal that would've netted them Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert.
Other than that, there hasn't been anything substantial on the Simmons trade market, but Morey and the rest of the Sixers' front office are OK with playing the waiting game in this situation.
"People should buckle in, this is gonna go a long time because my only job is to help give us the best chance to win the title," Morey said. "Ben Simmons is a difference-maker, so if we can get him back he will help us win the title. If we can trade Ben Simmons for a difference-maker, we will do it. I think that's best for everyone in this situation."
So it sounds like Simmons and Morey will just continue to play this drawn-out staring game waiting for the other person to blink first.
