The Los Angeles Lakers have emerged as one of the newest suitors for disgruntled NBA star Ben Simmons, who is still yet to suit up for the Philadelphia 76ers this season.
Teams are able to trade players signed during the most recent off-season this week, giving the 76ers more prospective trade partners as they attempt to strike a deal.
According to Bleacher Report‘s Jake Fischer, the Lakers’ interest in Simmons comes as they explore trades for star guard Russell Westbrook, whose fit on the team alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis has been awkward at best.
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However, any Lakers-Sixers deal centred around Simmons going to Los Angeles remains a long shot due to a number of reasons.
Westbrook’s hefty salary of $62 million would require the Sixers to throw another player along with Simmons into the deal to make the money work. The Australian is owed $46 million by the Sixers for this season.
“Westbrook’s salary, outside of James’ and Davis’, is the only number on the Lakers’ books that can match Simmons’ own lofty deal,” the B/R report read.
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“Even then, Westbrook is not a player on the Sixers’ list of hopeful returns, league sources told B/R, and conversations with the Lakers never developed very far.”
According to a report from The Athletic, the Sixers have gotten aggressive in pursuing “multi-team trade scenarios” in an attempt to move Simmons.
“It’s clear 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has his eyes set on a potential trade scenario to ship Simmons out of Philadelphia — whenever a rival team can meet his asking price,” the report read.
“The 76ers are currently asking teams for an All-Star-caliber player and/or multiple first-round draft picks for Simmons, sources said.”
The other teams named as being interested in Simmons along with the Lakers are the New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers.
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According to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe, the Sixers continue to hold out hope that Damian Lillard requests a trade out of Portland amid the Trail Blazers’ choppy start to the season.
However, the Sixers have been told by interim Portland general manager Joe Cronin that Lillard is not available in any potential deal involving Simmons.
“The Sixers have long targeted Lillard, who reaffirmed his desire to stay in Portland around the start of the team’s training camp,” the ESPN report read.
“After the recent firing of president of basketball operations Neil Olshey, Cronin has publicly and privately said the franchise plans to keep building around Lillard.
“The Blazers have been open to discussing a deal for Simmons centered on guard CJ McCollum, but that conversation never gathered traction, sources said.”
Another team with an outside shot of getting involved in the Simmons sweepstakes is the Brooklyn Nets, according to the Bleacher Report.
Prior to All-Star guard James Harden being dealt to Brooklyn last year, Philadelphia and Houston had engaged in conversations which would have seen Simmons sent to the Rockets.
Harden declined a contract extension with the Nets earlier this season and remains a player of interest for the Sixers, whose president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, is familiar with Harden from their time together in Houston.
“The possibility of landing Harden has quietly hung over the Simmons dynamic all along,” the report read.
“Philadelphia nearly shipped Simmons to Houston for Harden back in January, an outcome Harden was known around the league to have welcomed.
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“If a strong enough deal for Simmons never comes Philadelphia’s way this season, there have been ongoing whispers about a free-agency sign-and-trade for Simmons that would allow Harden to join forces with Embiid, and rejoin Daryl Morey.”
Simmons, a three-time NBA All-Star, has three years remaining on an original five-year, $249 million deal signed with Philadelphia back in 2019.