As the world turns, so does the Ben Simmons trade saga. Sam Amick of The Athletic recently provided an update on the Simmons ordeal. He reported that sources say the Sixers have a list of names that they would be open to trading for, and that list has about 30 names listed.
He also mentioned that this list contains players that the Sixers organization believes could become available within two years. This fits what Daryl Morey said himself on his appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic. He said this saga could go on for 4 years and for the fans, and the city should “buckle up.”
Despite the negative headlines and drama, this has caused, the Sixers seem intent on making this a long-term approach if they have to. They will not give in to offers that they do not deem worthy and will continue to try to work with Simmons to get him back on the court in the meantime.
With that being said, we put together a list of possible names that could be on the 76ers’ radar as trade targets in a Ben Simmons deal. These names will be broken into three tiers: Unrealistic But Hey It’s Daryl Morey, Realistic, Random But You Never Know.
Unrealistic, But Hey, It’s Daryl Morey
This tier represents some of the top players in the league who the Sixers would absolutely love to get back in a Ben Simmons trade, but it is unlikely the player will become available. Some of the players in this tier have had small rumors surrounding them from time to time, which may lead to Morey making a call but being hung up on:
Luka Doncic
Zach Lavine
Paul George
Kawhi Leonard
LaMelo Ball
Devin Booker
Ja Morant
Jayson Tatum
Anthony Davis
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Realistic
This tier represents some realistic trade targets the Sixers could get in return for a deal centered around Simmons. Some players in this tier have had plenty of rumors surrounding them, or their coach/GM is on the hot seat due to the lack of team success. Also, current or future team chemistry issues could play a part in one of these players asking out:
Damian Lillard
James Harden
CJ McCollum
Darius Garland
Jaylen Brown
Bradley Beal
Brandon Ingram
Dejounte Murray
De’Aaron Fox
Jerami Grant
OG Anunoby
Random, But You Never Know
This tier represents names that may have been floating around in the past, but the fit could be an issue (Raptors), or players who could ask out if their situation doesn’t get better, rumored feuds with co-stars, or players the Sixers hope could be available:
Jamal Murray
Anthony Edwards
Chris Paul
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Kyrie Irving
Zion Williamson
Donovan Mitchell
Michael Porter Jr.
Pascal Siakam
We will have to be patient to see how Daryl Morey handles this trade situation. He seems to have all the patience in the world to wait for one of these players on our hypothetical list. As he stated before, “Buckle-in.”
