Getty Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons reacts during a game against the New York Knicks.
The rumors connecting the Golden State Warriors to Ben Simmons have stretched on for months, and now Golden State’s general manager is giving what appears to be the definitive answer on the trade talk.
The three-time All-Star is all but assured to be leaving the Philadelphia 76ers due to an ever-widening rift with the franchise, and the Warriors have been floated as a potential destination. Reports indicated that Simmons liked the idea of playing for a team in California, and the Warriors were seen as a good fit as the team was looking to reload and add talent for the expected return of Klay Thompson. That talk is likely put to rest now.
The latest Warriors news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Warriors newsletter here!
Warriors Shut Down Talk
Speaking to reporters at Warriors Media Day on September 27, Warriors GM Bob Myers made it clear that there were no blockbuster trades in the team’s future, putting an end to any lingering speculation that the franchise could go after Simmons.
“As far as trades — now, tomorrow, today — those conversations are always happening. That’s my job. That’s the league we live in,” Myers said. “But I would say to you, if you’re looking for some clarity, I expect this roster to be our roster. Certainly in the near term and probably heading into the season and then we will see how everything goes. That’s what we would do anyway.”
Myers said that he likes the team and the current roster construction, which is finally heading back to full strength for the first time in two full seasons. Thompson missed last season with an Achilles tear and lost the previous season to a torn ACL, but is now on track to return sometime around January.
There have reportedly been some discussions between the Warriors and Sixers regarding Simmons, though they never appeared to progress. The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported earlier in September that there was never any realistic interest in Simmons from the Warriors.
“The Warriors front office isn’t currently split on whether or not to accept a Ben Simmons trade offer from Philadelphia. There isn’t — and has never been — a realistic one on the table for them to discuss,” he wrote.
Simmons Leads to Trouble for Warriors
The Warriors have gotten in a bit of trouble for discussing Simmons in recent weeks. Team owner Joe Lacob opened up about Simmons as well, offering a very candid answer to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Rusty Simmons about whether the Warriors want to pursue him. As Lacob said, Simmons would be both too costly and too redundant to the team’s incumbent point-forward, Draymond Green.
“In some ways, it doesn’t really fit what we’re doing,” Lacob said. “He makes a lot of money. And, can he finish games? I don’t know. He’s very talented. The problem is: We have Draymond. Draymond and him are very similar in the sense that neither one really shoots and they do a lot of the playmaking. That’s one issue. The salary structure is another.”
Warriors owner Joe Lacob was fined $50,000 on Wednesday for comments about Philadelphia superstar Ben Simmons that were deemed by the NBA to be a violation of the league’s anti-tampering rule.