As the calendar flips to 2022, the rumor mill regarding a potential trade involving 76ers guard Ben Simmons will only heat up further with the NBA’s deadline coming on Feb. 10.
NBA insider and ESPN analyst Adrian Wojnarowski told NBA Countdown that the Cleveland Cavaliers are a potential team to watch as a suitor for Simmons, according to Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire.
“Here’s an interesting team to watch, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who before they went on this really incredible start to the season had been engaged with Philly on Simmons,” Wojnarowski said. “They’ve got some really intriguing assets either in a straight deal with Philly or perhaps a three- or four-team deal. And we reported earlier J.B. Bickerstaff agreed to a new extension today through ’26-’27.”
There have been a plethora of teams connected with Simmons, who demanded a trade during the offseason and then held out through most of training camp. He proceeded to join the team just before the start of the 2021-22 season, but alerted the team that he was not mentally ready to play for them yet.
He is getting help from personal mental health specialists and has given the 76ers permission to allow a team therapist to speak with his personal therapist.
Despite the fallout from a broken relationship between the three-time All-Star and the organization, teams are still more than willing to kick the tires on Simmons.
A report earlier this month from Shams Charania of The Athletic revealed a list of seven teams that have shown interest in Simmons, including the Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers.
The Cavaliers have a bevy of young players that could sweeten talks between them and the Sixers — especially because team president Daryl Morey is not budging from the high return he wants for Simmons that includes a star player and multiple first-round draft picks.
Granted, the promising likes of Darius Garland or Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Isaac Okoro, or Collin Sexton might not be high-profile enough to meet Morey’s demands.
