On Thursday afternoon, Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operation Daryl Morey went on Philly’s 97.5 the fanatic to detail the team’s season and upcoming trade deadline approach, specifically with Ben Simmons.
One night after Joel Embiid‘s historic performance, the Sixers have to be feeling good about their playoff aspirations, especially with a potential Ben Simmons trade still to come. Morey views his team as just outside the top five contenders in the league, even though is 5th in the Eastern Conference standings.
However, that was far from the most eye-opening quote of the interview:
Daryl Morey on the likelihood of Ben Simmons being moved by the trade deadline: “I think it’s less likely than likely, but hopefully I’m wrong. It won’t be from lack of trying.”
— Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) January 20, 2022
Although it seems that the relationship between Philadelphia and Ben Simmons is finished, Morey seems to not see it that way. Describing him as “the perfect player” to pair with superstar center Joel Embiid is contradictory to remarks made by 76ers officials in the offseason, as it was clear their partnership on the court was a major reason for the game seven loss against Atlanta.
Therefore, most people understood a breakup between Simmons and Embiid was the right step for Philadelphia to become championship contenders once again. This comment from Morey is simply an attempt to try to maintain any sort of leverage, broadcasting to teams that he’s more than willing to keep Simmons on the roster.
Originally, Morey stated he was willing to drag on this process for as long as four years. Now, he’s seeming to back down a bit, even publicly lowering the asking price for the former all-star.
By accepting a top-40 player, more potential trades are freed up for the Sixers to make, but it could all be a facade. Multiple reports of trade packages for Simmons have included players in that range, but have all been declined by the Philadelphia front office.
Morey even went as far as publicly naming a potential trade suitor for the point guard: The Sacramento Kings.
“I can tell you there are deals with the Sacramento Kings that I think would work,” Morey says.
— Austin Krell (@NBAKrell) January 20, 2022
He adds that it would likely be multiple teams.
Rumors have run rampant about return packages centering around De’Aaron Fox or Tyrese Haliburton, both of whom could help the Sixers’ lack of scoring around Embiid. Ideally, Morey could acquire a combination of Haliburton and Buddy Hield to make the salaries work.
At 21 years of age, Haliburton is far from his prime and can develop alongside guard Tyrese Maxey to support Embiid. With a move like this, Philadelphia can extend their championship window past a two-year stretch, with their backcourt of the future improving each and every year.
Hield can provide shooting off the bench, something that is always necessary of the players on the court with Embiid. By spacing the floor, the big man has the opportunity to work in the post in a one-on-one situation, an area where he’s the most dominant in the league.
Morey seems in lockstep with this idea, referencing the idea of acquiring a “draft pick or a young player who can help us into the future, who might develop like if we got a player a caliber of Maxey coming back.“
This quote alone screams that the Philadelphia 76ers want Tyrese Haliburton in exchange for Ben Simmons, and are pressuring the Kings to pull the trigger by publicly pushing the idea.
Daryl Morey is a master at manipulating the media and agenda to benefit him and his team, and this interview is just another example of that.
However, it’s clear that if the Philadelphia 76ers don’t get the trade they want from the Kings, they are more than willing to hold onto Ben Simmons until at least the offseason.