During the offseason, the Sixers discussed a trade with the Pistons for Ben Simmons. Jerami Grant was offered, but Daryl Morey has eyes for another Piston.
It was only a few days ago that word came forward of the Sixers and Pistons trade conversations around Ben Simmons. Specifically that the two teams spoke about a Simmons/Grant swap. Now, word has it that while those talks did occur, the Sixers weren’t, and aren’t, interested in a deal built around Grant.
According to Kyle Neubeck of Philly Voice, the Sixers did, in fact, have trade talks with the Pistons, and they aren’t against a deal with Detroit, but not as the recent rumors suggested. Neubeck went into greater detail, stating:
“According to sources, those discussions were not just old and presently inactive, they were of little interest to the Sixers. The team’s list of players they’d be interested in acquiring for Simmons, recently referred to by Sam Amick in a report for The Athletic, does not include Grant, a source familiar with the situation tells PhillyVoice.“
Kyle Neubeck
Neubeck referred to a plethora of reasons why the Sixers would not be interested in Grant. From the awkward positional fit with Tobias Harris to viewing Grant’s contract as more of a negative than a positive, and finally, the simple fact that Jerami Grant is simply not viewed as “good enough” to be the centerpiece in a Simmons deal.
The Sixers seem to have their eyes set on a much bigger prize in Detroit, that being the first overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, Cade Cunningham.
It’s not surprising that the Sixers would prefer Cunningham over Grant, though the chances of the Pistons trading the former number one overall pick are roughly the same as the chances they make the playoffs. What’s curious is what the Sixers would do after acquiring Cade.
He’s young and extremely raw. While Cunningham obviously is a talent, his timeline doesn’t match Joel Embiid, which begs the question, why are the Sixers interested?
Throughout this entire process, that being the Ben Simmons trade rumors, Daryl Morey has pointed towards the Sixers either trading for a star to pair with Embiid or assets that Morey could then package for an available star. In the case of Cade Cunningham, it is the latter.
Don’t expect a Simmons for Cade swap anytime soon. In fact, don’t expect a Simmons trade in general anytime soon, as Neubeck reiterated that a Ben Simmons trade may not occur until next season or later.
For even more from Kyle Neubeck on the Ben Simmons trade saga, follow the link below:
