Just because Ben Simmons wants out of Philadelphia doesn’t mean he’ll help the 76ers orchestrate a trade this offseason. At least that’s what ESPN’s Brian Windhorst is reporting.
During this Wednesday’s edition of The Jump, Windhorst shared some interesting details about Simmons’ situation in Philadelphia.
According to Windhorst, the All-Star point guard is not going to help the 76ers find a trade partner. That might be a gutsy move on his part – especially after struggling in the playoffs – but he ultimately believes it’s not his job to do that.
“One of the messages that Ben has sent back towards Philly is that it’s not his job to fix his trade value,” Windhorst said. “It’s not his job to correct his trade value or raise his trade value. That is not something that is on the menu for him. And so, with that out there, I’m not convinced he’s interested in coming in and trying to change the situation. ”
Windhorst also mentioned that the structure of Simmons’ contract will allow him to play hardball this offseason.
“And one thing that I think is interesting is that, his contract is structured in a way that he’s going to get half of his money by October 1 – $16.5 million of his $33 million comes before he has to worry about getting fined a single dime, 41 of his games,” Windhorst explained. “So he’s going to have a war chest and he can just sit this out.”
Simmons has been heavily linked to the Cleveland Cavaliers the past few weeks. However, it’s unclear if the Cavaliers are a legitimate threat to land the former No. 1 overall pick at this time.
Any team interested in Simmons would have to be OK with taking on the four years and $147 million remaining on his contract.
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