The NBA Draft is now less than three weeks away. Free agency will begin shortly after. We all know one of the biggest, if not the biggest name on the market this offseason will be none other than Ben Simmons. 

We all know what happened in the playoffs. There’s no reason why we have to go through it again. Ben Simmons will be shopped this summer. For the 76ers and Daryl Morey, it will all depend on the value of the return for their 24 year old All-Star point guard. That brings us today, with Shams Charania of the Athletic reporting that the Philadelphia 76ers have opened up trade conversations surrounding Ben Simmons and have engaged with teams. 

It’s reported that the 76ers want an All-Star caliber player in return for Ben Simmons, which could be a tough ask for the Sixers. Simmons is a player at rock bottom. He’s been bashed on award shows, criticized by the national media, talked about by his teammates, and is now hated by the majority of Sixers fans. His value simply might not be there to get a star player in return. 

Ben Simmons has bought a house and has spent a good amount of time in England early in the offseason with his new girlfriend. That’s perfectly acceptable for an athlete to do after a long NBA season. However things are now speeding up and it’s open season for trade discussions. 

We are now in “fix your game, or leave” mode in Philadelphia when talking about Ben Simmons. Reports will come flowing in. Only Ben Simmons can fix his mistakes, however if Daryl Morey and the rest of the Sixers organization fail to get equal or greater value for Simmons, there will be plenty of blame to go around. 

***UPDATE***

The Cavs, Pacers, Timberwolves, Raptors and the Kings are among the teams to express interest in Ben Simmons, per Marc Stein.

Will Ben Simmons be traded? I hope not. Cast your vote and we’ll see who comes out on top.