Jake Fischer wrote a quality Ben Simmons article at Bleacher Report. There’s a lot to unpack.

Among the nuggets was a two-paragraph segment where he goes over the list of teams still interested in trading for Simmons:

Philadelphia’s most recent list of interested front offices, to varying degrees, still stands at nine known teams, sources said. In alphabetical order: Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Indiana, Minnesota, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio and Toronto have all remained engaged with Philadelphia. 

There is a 10th “mystery” franchise that has held substantial trade conversations with Philadelphia of late, sources told B/R, yet it remains unclear, even to members of Klutch Sports, who this purported additional suitor is. No team, however, has come near Morey and the Sixers’ firm asking price for Simmons, with simultaneous goals to further their championship contention around Embiid and remain in play to some day acquire a potentially available superstar—either from Portland or Washington, or some other unexpected franchise that will eventually arise.

Some thoughts on the reported suitors:

  • Collin Sexton would have to be the cornerstone of any Cleveland trade.
  • Detroit has nobody that improves the Sixers. Best they could do is Jerami Grant + Saddiq Bey + picks.
  • Houston also has nothing to move the needle.
  • Indy is intriguing. If that Malcolm Brogdon + Caris LeVert + pick rumor is true, I’d do that in a heart beat. A lineup of Brogdon/Seth Curry/LeVert/Tobias Harris/Joel Embiid with Danny Green, Andre Drummond, and Tyrese Maxey off the bench? Great team. #1 seed again.
  • Minnesota we’ve been over before. Sixers don’t need anything they are offering.
  • Portland? If Dame wants out, you do a Dame trade 999 times out of 999.
  • Sacramento – not sure I’d do anything with them unless Fox is included.
  • San Antonio is interesting. Not sure how much DeMar DeRozan excites people these days, (sorry I forgot he got moved) but inquire about Dejounte Murray and/or another young guy and now we’re talking. Derrick White and Keldon Johnson are good.
  • Toronto: ask them for Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby. They won’t do it, but you ask anyway.

There are some interesting hypothetical deals out there, though it seems like the Sixers aren’t in any hurry to move Ben. That’s okay. You don’t have to do anything right now. Wait and see what happens with Damian Lillard and then go from there. That’s probably the way to approach it.