As the mid-season of the NBA approaches, deal talks across teams are heating up, and according to today's well-known journalist Shams Charania, the Philadelphia 76ers are still struggling to trade their star guard Ben Simmons, and while rumors of the Sacramento Kings' interest in Simmons have subsided in recent weeks, according to Charania, they are still hoping to be able to strike a deal with the 76ers.
"While it's unclear exactly how attractive the Philadelphia 76ers really are on the trade market, according to sources, seven teams— the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers— are all interested in Simmons," Chalanya reported. ”
All seven teams have similar squad problems, and they do all have their own star players, but so far no team's stars have been able to help their team break through the mediocre ceiling this season. If the Kings are really interested in Simmons, they'll have to meet the high asking price for the 76ers, who have been insisting on getting at least one All-Star player or multiple first-round picks in Simmons' deal.
So if the asking price of the 76ers is to be met, the Kings actually have only two trading options, the first is to send Daron Fox, and the second is to pack Marvin Bagley III, David Mitchell and multiple first-round picks. All eyes will be on Kings general manager Monte McNair, as teams in the league will be allowed to begin unofficially tweaking their rosters on Thursday, December 16, and can consult with other teams on the possibility of a trade. And while McNair has been busy throughout the offseason, no major deal has been made, so it's time to give the kingdom new hope in this disappointing season.