Getty Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons on the court during a game against the Indiana Pacers.
The Golden State Warriors may still have a chance to snag a three-time NBA All-Star after a failed trade proposal, one insider speculates, but it would come at quite the high cost.
The Warriors have been named as one of the potential destinations for Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons, who is reportedly on the outs with his franchise. While Golden State reportedly turned down an initial offer from the Sixers, there could still be another chance for them to snag Simmons.
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Warriors Land Simmons in Three-Way Deal
The deal the Warriors reportedly turned down would have required them to send both of their lottery picks to Philadelphia, but Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report speculated the assets could still be put to use in a new deal. He envisioned a three-way trade with the Indiana Pacers and Sixers where the Warriors would ship out with No. 7 pick Jonathan Kuminga and No. 14 pick Moses Moody, along with last year’s No. 2 overall pick, James Wiseman, and winger Andrew Wiggins. They would also part with two future first-round draft picks.
Ben Simmons has cut communications with ‘basically everyone’ on the Sixers.
He is open to joining the Warriors, per @JDumasReports
The deal would include:
Golden State Warriors Receive: Ben Simmons, Justin Holiday
Indiana Pacers Receive: James Wiseman, Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Jonathan Kuminga, T.J. Warren, Warriors 2026 first-round pick, Warriors 2028 first-round pick
Swartz speculated that the Sixers, who have not had much luck in shopping Simmons so far, could be willing to pull a third team into the trade in order to get it done. But this particular deal would have to wait, he added, as Kuminga could not be traded until 30 days after he signed his rookie deal. The Warriors would still need to sign Moody as well, meaning the deal would not be completed until September at the earliest.
Simmons would be a strong addition to the Warriors. He averaged 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.9 assists last season, but came under fire for his play in the conference semifinals, where averaged just 9.9 points and was 15-for-45 from the free-throw line (33.3%).
Simmons on the Outs
It appears increasingly likely that Simmons will be playing somewhere other than Philadelphia next season. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer said in an appearance on The Mike Missanelli Show on 97.5 The Fanatic that he believes Simmons will be moved sometime soon.
“I felt like, talking to people I spoke to and sources, they all thought it was going to happen in the preseason,” Pompey said. “Happen maybe right before training camp, in training camp, what have you. Maybe right before the final rosters. But the belief is that he is still going to get traded. I think that’s right.”
– Ben Simmons reportedly has been ignoring Joel Embiid’s calls
– He reportedly doesn’t want to go to Toronto or Portland
More: t.co/tR66qeNqqV
If Simmons does end up on the trade block, Golden State could be one of his preferred destinations. KRON4’s Jason Dumas reported last week that Simmons had walled himself off from others within the Sixers organization and had an eye on moving to the Bay Area.
“Ben Simmons has cut off communication with basically everyone in the Sixers organization. Everything is going thru his agent, Rich Paul. Ben is open to going to the GSWs though he doesn’t have much leverage in the situation,” Dumas reported.
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Warriors Could Snag Ben Simmons in Wild Three-Way Trade: Insider