76ers Have List Of 30 Players They'd Accept In Ben Simmons Trade

[RealGM Wiretap]

The Philadelphia 76ers have a list of approximately 30 players who would satisfy them in a trade of Ben Simmons and there's internal belief that approximately five to 10 of them could be available within the next year or two, a source tells Sam Amick of the Athletic. 

The list represents six percent of the league and is the rough equivalent to the number of All-Stars selected every season. 

“This is like a multi-year thing,” a Sixers source said.

Simmons cannot become a free agent until 2025, which the 76ers believe gives them time to be patient.

Via Sam Amick/The Athletic

[Lockdown504090]

Klutch and Philadelphia are both trying to do something precedent setting. Whoever wins sets the tone for the next CBA negotiation.

[mplsfonz23]

76'ers are really delusional. 30 players? They really think they are calling all the shots huh? Lets see this so called "list."

Yes they have Simmons, but as they can see NOBODY is going to bail out the failed process by gutting their team for him. He has proven to be nothing but a defensive mental case who can't even shoot FT's.

If they think they can wait a year "or two" then they really are delusional.
I am willing to bet once they accept crap for him, those players will magically turn up on their list.

[Parataxis]

Thirty players who they'd consider coming back as the main piece isn't unreasonable. Especially if the 6ers are willing to add value the other way.

What's unreasonable is if the 6ers are expecting one of those 30 players, AND extra value on top of that. Based on the reports from the summer and autumn, that seems more likely.

[Tofubeque]

Great leak to make themselves sound generous and reasonable. The list probably contains 20 players soundly better than Simmons, and 10 younger ones who will be very soon.

[Cassius]

Michael Jordan, Wilt and Kareem are unfortunately not tradeable under the current CBA, so the list is actually 27.

[gpoon]

How is this a multi year thing? Sixers are just wasting Embiids prime years. Probably wont sit well with Embiid, at this rate he will demand a trade before ben gets traded.

[moocow007]

76'ers are really delusional. 30 players? They really think they are calling all the shots huh? Lets see this so called "list."

Yes they have Simmons, but as they can see NOBODY is going to bail out the failed process by gutting their team for him. He has proven to be nothing but a defensive mental case who can't even shoot FT's.

If they think they can wait a year "or two" then they really are delusional.
I am willing to bet once they accept crap for him, those players will magically turn up on their list.

Here's an hypothetical list of those possible 30 players:

Nikola Jokic
Lebron James
Stephen CUrry
Kevin Durant
Kawhi Leonard
Giannis Antetokounmpo
James Harden
Anthony Davis
Luka Doncic
Damian Lillard
Paul George
Jayson Tatum
Jimmy Butler
Bradley Beal
Devin Booker
Trae Young
Chris Paul
Kyrie Irving
Zion Williamson
Rudy Gobert
Bam Adebayo
Karl Anthony Towns
Donovan Mitchell
Ja Morant
Julius Randle
Jaylen Brown
Jrue Holiday
Zach LaVine
Shai Gileous-Alexander
Kris Middleton

Centers on this list are there cause...well...Morey's all about the top talent right? This list consists of win now guys vs. 1st year players and what not. You can probably swap a few guys in and out but is based basically on SI and a couple other sites general consensus of top 30 players going into the season.

[Snakebites]

That's unfortunate, because there are more than 30 players clearly more valuable than Simmons, even if we're taking out centers.

[damecurry]

That's unfortunate, because there are more than 30 players clearly more valuable than Simmons, even if we're taking out centers.

I mean talent wise I'd have to disagree, if Simmons is playing his best he's probably top 20, elite defender who can guard any position, great playmaker and solid scorer near the basket. His lack of shooting is an issue still but the real issue is his commitment and mental space. Right now I'd have a hard time trading a top 50ish player for him given the off-court issues and teammate/commitment questions.

[Snakebites]

That's unfortunate, because there are more than 30 players clearly more valuable than Simmons, even if we're taking out centers.

I mean talent wise I'd have to disagree, if Simmons is playing his best he's probably top 20, elite defender who can guard any position, great playmaker and solid scorer near the basket. His lack of shooting is an issue still but the real issue is his commitment and mental space. Right now I'd have a hard time trading a top 50ish player for him given the off-court issues and teammate/commitment questions.

All of that factors into his trade value, which is rock bottom right now.

They only way to recoup it is for him to play and play well. And he clearly has no interest in doing that. All we're seeing right now is him doing the bare minimum so they technically still have to pay him.

It's become quite the dance actually.

[GregOden]

It sounds like Morey thinks he can get the same value as when he hit the jackpot on the James Harden for Kevin Martin trade and never got over it, except he's got a disgruntled version of Kevin Martin and thinks he can try to strong arm some team to give him an equivalent to James Harden. Sometimes when you strike it rich young you become delusional for life.

[Liam_Gallagher]

Is Westbrook one of them?

I'd honestly do it if I was Pelinka.

[Rek]

How is this a multi year thing? Sixers are just wasting Embiids prime years. Probably wont sit well with Embiid, at this rate he will demand a trade before ben gets traded.

It's not a multi-year thing for the very reason you pointed out.

This is nothing but typical Morey attempting to control the narrative.

[moocow007]

Right now with the contract (4 years $145 million or an AAV of a little more than $36 million a year) and the apparent severe mental issues (can only blame so much on Morey being Morey) I can't see anyone offering anything more than salary cap filler (role players) and maybe a protected pick or two for him. If the contract wasn't as bad or his mental state seems fine then yeah the Sixers can get a lot more. But with both going? Yeah no.

[toooskies]

If the number is only 30, there's no deal possible. At this point it's unclear if Simmons will ever play basketball again. The acquiring team is taking on a lot of risk that Simmons' mental issues are purely about his relationship to Philadelphia and will be solved with a trade to another team.

In other words, if I'm a team making a top 30 guy available, I'm not taking Simmons back. I'd rather have several of the deals that Philadelphia has reportedly turned down for Simmons rather than Simmons if I'm trading away a star player. If Portland trades Lillard I'd want picks, not Simmons. If Washington trades Beal, I'd want picks or a volume scorer, not Simmons. I'm calling Golden State about their young guys before thinking about Simmons.

About the only guy out there that might be an exception is Kyrie, who is the only other player in the league where you're swapping talent for talent and risk for risk.

[Pickled Prunes]

That's unfortunate, because there are more than 30 players clearly more valuable than Simmons, even if we're taking out centers.

I mean talent wise I'd have to disagree, if Simmons is playing his best he's probably top 20, elite defender who can guard any position, great playmaker and solid scorer near the basket. His lack of shooting is an issue still but the real issue is his commitment and mental space. Right now I'd have a hard time trading a top 50ish player for him given the off-court issues and teammate/commitment questions.

Not even on the day he signed his extension was he near a top 20 player. Simmons was historically overrated because his potential is off the charts. He definitely came in with top 10 potential. But his play won't match his contract until he develops at least a mid-range shot and he becomes consistently adequate or better at the line. (Things that have been anticipated but have not taken place.) You can offer a player a contract based on potential, but you can't trade him as if he has already reached that potential. He is further from reaching that potential today than he was two years ago.

I absolutely agree that his handling of this situation highlights his lack of commitment to his team and his poor work ethic in general. All along I thought Morey should have been seeking two top 50-100 players rather than a top 25 player. At this point that result is getting less and less likely. There are fewer teams that want/need him. Great teams are already great, why mess with it. Bad teams don't have much to offer and would rather keep their best players and wait for lottery balls. That leaves just a few teams on the margins. What do they have to offer?

[Pickled Prunes]

76'ers are really delusional. 30 players? They really think they are calling all the shots huh? Lets see this so called "list."

Yes they have Simmons, but as they can see NOBODY is going to bail out the failed process by gutting their team for him. He has proven to be nothing but a defensive mental case who can't even shoot FT's.

If they think they can wait a year "or two" then they really are delusional.
I am willing to bet once they accept crap for him, those players will magically turn up on their list.

Here's an hypothetical list of those possible 30 players:

Nikola Jokic
Lebron James
Stephen CUrry
Kevin Durant
Kawhi Leonard
Giannis Antetokounmpo
James Harden
Anthony Davis
Luka Doncic
Damian Lillard
Paul George
Jayson Tatum
Jimmy Butler
Bradley Beal
Devin Booker
Trae Young
Chris Paul
Kyrie Irving
Zion Williamson
Rudy Gobert
Bam Adebayo
Karl Anthony Towns
Donovan Mitchell
Ja Morant
Julius Randle
Jaylen Brown
Jrue Holiday
Zach LaVine
Shai Gileous-Alexander
Kris Middleton

Centers on this list are there cause...well...Morey's all about the top talent right? This list consists of win now guys vs. 1st year players and what not. You can probably swap a few guys in and out but is based basically on SI and a couple other sites general consensus of top 30 players going into the season.

Yeah, I think the list is probably similar to the consensus top 50 with bigs, injured players and Kyrie removed. So no KAT, Gobert, Kawhi, etc.

Either way, if he removed all the unrealistic options his list might be back down to zero.

[Clyde_Style]

Simmons talent will continue to be overridden by the immense risk that his confidence has vanished

Morey has lost his leverage so he is dependent on a team stepping up and taking the risk that Simmons can get his head straight

[Darthlukey]

That's unfortunate, because there are more than 30 players clearly more valuable than Simmons, even if we're taking out centers.

I mean talent wise I'd have to disagree, if Simmons is playing his best he's probably top 20, elite defender who can guard any position, great playmaker and solid scorer near the basket. His lack of shooting is an issue still but the real issue is his commitment and mental space. Right now I'd have a hard time trading a top 50ish player for him given the off-court issues and teammate/commitment questions.

Not even on the day he signed his extension was he near a top 20 player. Simmons was historically overrated because his potential is off the charts. He definitely came in with top 10 potential. But his play won't match his contract until he develops at least a mid-range shot and he becomes consistently adequate or better at the line. (Things that have been anticipated but have not taken place.) You can offer a player a contract based on potential, but you can't trade him as if he has already reached that potential. He is further from reaching that potential today than he was two years ago.

I absolutely agree that his handling of this situation highlights his lack of commitment to his team and his poor work ethic in general. All along I thought Morey should have been seeking two top 50-100 players rather than a top 25 player. At this point that result is getting less and less likely. There are fewer teams that want/need him. Great teams are already great, why mess with it. Bad teams don't have much to offer and would rather keep their best players and wait for lottery balls. That leaves just a few teams on the margins. What do they have to offer?

I agree with this. If the reports are true and they turned down brogdon, levert, 1st its madness. Switching Simmons for those two raises their floor and ceiling in a huge way