Getty Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons during a 2019 game against the San Antonio Spurs.
File this one under “outrageous”, egregious and preposterous.
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According to multiple reports Wednesday, the Philadelphia 76ers‘ latest attempt to trade point guard Ben Simmons involved the San Antonio Spurs, and well, here’s are some of the details.
The Philadelphia 76ers wanted four first-round draft picks, three pick swaps, and a young player from the Spurs in exchange for Ben Simmons, per @KevinOConnorNBA
(h/t @JeffGSpursZone | @ProCityHoops )
😐😐😐😐😐😐
Spurs reportedly turned down an ‘outrageous’ demand from the 76ers for Ben Simmons t.co/0QXM9WH83W #nba #gospursgo #HereTheyCome #nbatwitter
It’s unclear who the “young player” off of San Antonio’s current roster would have been, but does it really matter? With four (!) first-round picks on the table, the Spurs swiftly rejected Philly’s attempt at a steal.
Where Do the Sixers, Spurs Pick in the Draft This Year?
GettySan Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon and head coach Gregg Popovich during a game in August 2020.
Thanks to their appearance in the Eastern Conference Semifinals last month, the Sixers will have to wait a while during tomorrow night’s NBA draft – barring a trade up. Philly owns the 28th overall selection.
The Spurs meanwhile, are slated to pick 12th and 41st.
“Simmons has been rumored to be on the trading block following the Sixers’ season ending and has been linked to San Antonio as a possible trade destination,” News 4 San Antonio Spurs Digital Journalist Jeff Garcia wrote on Wednesday. “What the 76ers are reportedly asking for is a lot. Will a team bring in Simmons who has shown he cannot make the outside shot? He is one of the premier defenders in the league, an All-Star, and he is still young. However, the point guard did not play his best in the playoffs and his offensive game is now in question.”
With the Spurs joining the Toronto Raptors as teams who recently turned down massive, blockbuster proposals from Philadelphia, that makes, at the very least, three reported trade ideas involving Simmons this summer that have not been agreed upon. It was reported earlier this month that the 76ers turned away an offer from the Indiana Pacers that included Malcolm Brogdon and first-round pick for Simmons.
Woj: ‘Talks Could Continue Into the Summer’
GettyPhiladelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons during a game against the San Antonio Spurs in August 2020.
If Sixers fans can’t get enough of the endless Ben Simmons drama, good news could be in store for them during the month of August. If Philly nation is desperately ready to move on from the situation, it could be a long summer, according to ESPN Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
ESPN Sources: Sixers continue to canvass the league for Ben Simmons trades — armed with a steep asking price. Simmons and his agent, Klutch CEO Rich Paul, are in step with a move elsewhere. Draft night is always an ideal vehicle for a deal, but talks could continue into summer.
All indications over the past month or so have certainly pointing to “canvassing the league” and a “steep asking price”, and this latest try with the Spurs is the latest example.
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