Well, the 2021 NBA Draft came and went and Ben Simmons is still on the Sixers. No trade materialized – not for Bradley Beal, not for Damian Lillard, not for anyone.W
So uh… what’s next?
Buzz coming out of front offices the morning after the draft makes it sound like the Sixers are still working on a deal, but fans interested in a quick move might be disappointed. This could take weeks, or even months.
ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday morning that he’s heard from sources close to the organization: the Sixers aren’t going to rush into a deal, but they have a timeline in mind.
“Philadelphia is still asking for a lot. Teams are not willing to be strip-mined to trade for Ben Simmons. They’re going to continue to try and find a way, to see if there’s a deal here as free agency starts. You kind of get another cycle of deal-making here. But he’s four years left on his deal, they’re not going to just give him away in Philly. Whatever they get back for him, they’ve got to believe it continues to make them a championship contender. But they’d like to get a deal done before training camp.”
