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Daryl Morey Was Right to Wait

All season the looming spectre of Ben Simmons has cast a certain pall on the Philadelphia 76ers’ season. A certain line of thinking was adamant that President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey should have just got the deal done, to just get his business over with and take whatever deal was available. That line of thinking said that things wouldn’t change during the season, that Simmons’ value wasn’t going to increase and that it was foolish to wait. That line of thinking is proving to be wrong, as more and more news breaks every day that suggests the market for Ben Simmons is in fact, heating up. 

 

The Golden Goose

Angry Donovan Mitchell forgets Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers were actually screwed by referees | RSN

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The Portland Trail Blazers situation remains the most intriguing, but also the most contentious piece of the puzzle. It’s no secret that Damian Lillard is the 76ers’ main target, and he’s growing increasingly restless with the Trail Blazers organization. Of course, the Trail Blazers themselves have remained adamant that Lillard is not for sale, but as they head ever farther from playoff contention (they are currently 11-15 and in ninth place) the Trail Blazers must realize that holding on to Lillard doesn’t make much sense. Both the Blazers and Lillard seem to be slowly heading to the conclusion that this relationship doesn’t work anymore, which is quite a bit different from where they were this summer. A perfect example of the wait-and-see approach.

 

The Bridesmaid

Bradley Beal admits he 'holds the cards' regarding Wizards' future | Yardbarker

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The second primary target for the 76ers has reportedly been Bradley Beal. The Washington Wizards started hotter than anyone could have expected, but they’ve predictably been falling back to Earth. They started out 10-3, and have since gone 5-9 including losing four of their last five. More importantly, Bradley Beal (who has been struggling this season) has pointedly not committed to a contract extension with the WizardsBeal said “And at the same time, I’m not gonna make that grand commitment and it doesn’t work. Ultimately, you have to be selfish at some point and for probably the first time in my career, Year 10, I am. And so I’m kinda taking advantage of it in a way.

Of course, Beal would go on to say his full commitment is to the team right now, but most impending free agents don’t come right out and what Beal said in that first quote, they usually just stick to generic team speak about dedication. The fact that Beal has entertained it at all is quite telling. This puts the Wizards in a tight spot. If they know Beal will not resign, they might as well deal him and get SOMETHING for him rather than just let him walk. That something could easily be Ben Simmons and picks, which again was not a situation that existed in the summer. 

 

Desperation Day

Finally, the last bit of news that’s come out that’s relevant to the Simmons situation has to do with the Indiana Pacers. Apparently, the Pacers are finally willing to rebuild, which means they are tearing down their core. Malcolm Brogdon aside (his recently signed contract prevents him from being traded) Caris LaVert, Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis should be available, as well as role-players like T.J. McConnell. Brogdon is the best fit unfortunately, but Sabonis could also provide the passing that the 76ers are missing, McConnell is a great bench piece for the same reason, and LaVert can punch up the scoring. The Pacers were apparently already willing to make a deal in the Summer, and now they are even more desperate.

 

What Else is Out There?

The point is, there’s traction for these Ben Simmons talks when they were laughable just a few months ago. Getting a top-25 player was supposed to be a joke, it was supposed to have GMs laughing at Morey and hanging up the phone. Now those talks are gaining momentum. What other deals are out there to be made? De’Aaron Fox was a popular name in the offseason, and the Sacramento Kings seem no closer to competing than when they drafted him in 2018. For some unfathomable reasons, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s name has been thrown around recently, which would be an absurdly amazing addition if the Sixers could somehow swing that.

It wasn’t popular, or an easy decision to wait, but it is increasingly looking like the right move by all accounts. The trade deadline is still a month and a half away, and situations could deteriorate even further by then, or more teams could want a ticket to the Ben Simmons lottery. Morey hasn’t done everything right in his tenure in Philly, and the whole Simmons Saga could have been handled better, but on this point, on his decision to wait? That he got absolutely correct.

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