Still waiting to be traded, Ben Simmons is still waiting. His trade could take a long time, as Kendrick Perkins points out. To support his point, the analyst uses the case… James Harden.
It’s been months since the Sixers began negotiations to trade Ben Simmons, without much success. We know that there has been a phone call with the Warriors to discuss, but he was cut short when discussing the quid pro quo. From there, we knew that this process was going to be long.
This is usually what happens when two parties have a very different view of a player’s worth. Philadelphia still thinks they have a kid with good potential to tap into, when the contenders almost think they are doing the 76ers a favor by picking up someone in trouble. For Simmons, patience is therefore required.
For him, we can say that this is bad news as training camp approaches. He was no doubt hoping to find his next team for this exercise, but this scenario took a lead in the wing over the weeks. It is becoming more and more likely that the Australian will still be around in October, as Kendrick Perkins also thinks.
The ESPN analyst has commented on the Simmons case, and believes it will take time. To support his point, he draws a parallel with the soap opera James Harden last year :
Look, if James Harden had to start the season with a Rockets uniform, I don’t know why Ben Simmons thinks it will be different for him. Its market value is not good.
It’s hard to deny Perkins’ point here, as a trade is still pending. The market value of the player varies a lot depending on the game, which explains these difficulties. The best possible scenario for the 76ers? Let Simmons be on the floor after the start of the school year, and make a great impression:
When you hear the Sixers organization say, “Hey, we’re not trading Ben. We will keep it in the roster until we get something that is beneficial for us. That means they’re ready to wait. I think he’ll be with the 76ers on opening night.
The 76ers have the advantage, as Ben Simmons still has several more years on the contract. So it’s up to Daryl Morey to dictate the conversation, although he may have to bring himself to change his position if the discussions do not advance over the months. By the time of the resumption, it is in any case very badly started.
