The Philadelphia 76ers are still in the midst of figuring out what they can do with the Ben Simmons situation. The saga continues on as the franchise is still looking to figure out if they can get a top 25 player for one of the game’s brightest stars,
There will be no shortage of suitors for Simmons as there are a lot of teams in the league who would love to have a player with his talents, but it comes down to whether the Sixers will have their demands met. It is unlikely that something will happen before the Feb. 10 trade deadline which means they keep him around and they try again in the offseason.
The Sacramento Kings are a team to watch in the Simmons sweepstakes as they are beginning to seriously ponder taking on both Simmons and Tobias Harris in a deal. Per Sam Amick of The Athletic, it will come down to whether the Sixers really like anything the Kings have to offer, like De’Aaron Fox for example.
Per Amick:
With that being the case, it’s then a matter of figuring out what the Sixers think of Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox and the various other pieces that could help them match those massive salaries ($67.5 million combined this season between Simmons and Harris). The deal could be done by adding sharpshooter Buddy Hield ($22.7 million) and veteran wingman Harrison Barnes ($20.2 million), but Philly would surely push for more.
To no one’s surprise, there has been a collective loss of faith in the prospect of this core evolving into a contender in the West. The Pacers’ Domantas Sabonis is a major focal point for the Kings, too, but Simmons appears to be front and center for now.
The Kings have not made a playoff appearance since 2006 and if they were to acquire a player like Simmons, it would give them an opportunity to at least make a run at the play-in tournament in the West and go from there.
In this case, it would come down to how much the Sixers like Fox. They would need to be sold on the idea that Fox could become that top player they so desire and they would need him to be able to take steps forward as a shooter. Another idea could be to flip him in the offseason for that top player they want to put next to Joel Embiid, but that makes things complicated.
Nonetheless, the Kings should be a team to keep an eye on as the saga moves forward.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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