While the Philadelphia 76ers managed to make out well while dealing with Ben Simmons‘ trade request, many will wonder what could have been knowing what was reportedly offered for Simmons. There were reports from Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer that the Sacramento Kings had offered Tyrese Haliburton for Simmons, but NBA Insider Marc Stein refuted that notion.
“Sources briefed on those trade talks insisted to The Stein Line last week that, contrary to persistent speculation about Sacramento’s reported interest in Ben Simmons back then, Philadelphia was not offered a Tyrese Haliburton-centric package for Simmons.
“If the Kings had made such an offer, that would be awfully rough for the Sixers to live with now, given the player Haliburton has become in Indiana.”
Haliburton has blossomed for the Indiana Pacers since the Kings traded him for Domantas Sabonis, among others. In his first full season with the Pacers, he averaged 20.7 points and 10.4 assists while shooting 49% from the field and 40% from three, which were good enough numbers for him to make his first all-star team.
Factoring both his skills and his age at 23 years old, he would have fit well in the Sixers’ timeline. but it can be of some comfort knowing that he wasn’t actually an option for them.
Austin Rivers Calls Out James Harden & Ben Simmons
Austin Rivers called out Simmons and James Harden for abusing their power in trade requests in a rant.
“If you were a free agent, then you could choose where you were gonna go… This started with James [Harden] and Ben [Simmons] and all these guys doing this sh*t. It’s bad for the league.”
Austin Rivers on Damian Lillard’s trade demand
(via ringernba/TT)
“Regardless of how good of a player you are, man, the NBA is a privilege. And if you are a free agent, then you can choose where you’re gonna go. That’s the business, but when you’re not, you signed a deal, man. That’s part of the business, bro. If you get traded somewhere like, you gotta go play, man. You know what I mean? This started with like James and Ben (Simmons) and all these guys doing it.”
Because they’ve done what they’ve done, Rivers believes their actions are negatively affecting the NBA.
“This s*** is bad for the league. This is why our CBA deal that we just signed, and I don’t want to get heavy into that. That thing is, don’t get me f***ing started on that deal that we got going because it’s top-heavy.”
Tracy McGrady Questions James Harden’s Trade Request
NBA Hall-of-Famer Tracy McGrady questioned why Harden wants off the Sixers.
“I don’t understand for the life of me what James Harden is doing,” McGrady said in an interview in GQ published July 25. “Why are you trying to get out?”
McGrady added that it makes no sense that Harden wants to be traded away from Joel Embiid knowing what he just accomplished with the Sixers.
“Maybe there’s some internal bulls*** that is going on that we don’t know about,” said McGrady, who became a Hall of Famer in 2018. “Because it doesn’t make any sense to me to leave the MVP and the Eastern Conference, where you have a shot to at least play for a championship. It’s got to be something deeper than what you know. Get over it, man.”
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Insider Disputes Previous Blockbuster Offer Made to Sixers for Ben Simmons