Getty Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons reacts during a game against the Lakers at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Ben Simmons could be on the Philadelphia 76ers roster at the start of training camp on Sept. 28. But there is a full month between now and then, with a boatload of new rumors enveloping the embattled Sixers’ point guard. And, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, a certain team in the Western Conference really wants Simmons.
The Minnesota Timberwolves were among the early front-runners to land Simmons back in July. A few proposed trade packages were floated out, one of them involving Jarrett Culver (he was just traded to Memphis) and a second-round pick. D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley have been mentioned to lesser degrees.
No matter the compensation, Minnesota remains a legit and “persistent” suitor for Simmons. Per Wojnarowski:
Philadelphia has continued to try to see if they can find a deal for Simmons before the start of camp. They have not had success, you know, really getting any traction for the high asking price they’re asking for for Ben Simmons. Minnesota is one team that’s been persistent with Philadelphia, but they’ve needed to have, really, third and even fourth teams in those kinds of deals to get back to Philly what it would want.
Minnesota gets the toughness and leadership of Beverley for its young, developing roster. Gersson Rosas had Beverley on his team with Rockets and knows what he brings. Memphis continues to add talent along the margins, including Culver, who’s only 22 and a former No. 6 pick.
But the asking price for Simmons remains insanely high from Sixers president Daryl Morey. They seem willing to call Simmons’ bluff, per Wojnarowski, and make him report to camp if no deal is finalized:
I think for the Sixers, if they’re going to trade Ben Simmons, they’ve got to get back players right now who continue on that Joel Embiid timeline of having an MVP-level player in his prime, that you’re trying to win championships with, and that’s a hard package to get back for Ben Simmons right now. There’s a very distinct possibility he’s going to have to come back to training camp with them next season.
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Jaden Springer Reflects on Summer League
First-round pick Jaden Springer struggled to find his shot early in the Las Vegas Summer League but ended on a strong note. He scored 21 points (8-of-14 shooting) in Tuesday’s finale. He misfired on his only two three-pointers and went 5-of-6 from the free-throw line.
After the game, Springer reflected on his first experiences playing NBA basketball and noted how much faster the game moves.
“I just slowed myself down and just let it speed me up,” Springer told reporters, via SixersWire. “It was my first taste of NBA basketball so really adjusting to the speed of the game, just learning the pace, that’s the biggest thing. Being able to play with a whole team of guys that can really hoop so that was my biggest takeaway.”
rook found his groove yesterday with an #NBASummer high of 21 points.
Joel Embiid Signs Multi-Year Extension
All-Star center Joel Embiid inked a four-year supermax extension on Tuesday, a contract that (hopefully) keeps him in Philadelphia for life. The Cameroonian star sat down with the team’s official website to dish on his future goals and how hard it was to get to this point. Embiid is locked up through the 2026-27 season.
“I always like to say my life is a movie because everything just happens so fast,” Embiid said in a YouTube interview. “I wasn’t even supposed to play basketball, I mean starting to play basketball at [age] 16, it was tough learning but I’ve always been willing to want to be better and improve in everything I do. Our goal is to win a championship so that’s what we’re focused on, so we’re going to keep working on that.”