Report: Here's How The Sixers Trade Talks Went Down With Kings & Hawks

 

The Ben Simmons rumors have been flying fast and furious, with reports of teams offering multiple starters in packages for the Philadelphia 76ers disgruntled star. The Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings, in particular, were said to have offered multiple-player deals. But a new report from The Athletic lays out how the talks actually went down with these teams.

According to NBA insiders Shams Charania and Sam Amick, Sixers president Daryl Morey asked the Kings for guard Tyrese Haliburton PLUS multiple first-round picks. The Kings have said they want to build around Haliburton and De'Aaron Fox. 

The Sixers also asked the Hawks for John Collins PLUS multiple first-round picks, AND they wanted them to take on Tobias Harris and his massive contract as well. We have talked here about Philly's hopes of unloading Harris as part of a package deal in any Ben Simmons trade, to give them some room under the tax. The Hawks, though, have luxury tax concerns of their own, so that's an awfully expensive hit to take. 

Report: 76ers requested multiple first-rounders to trade Ben Simmons for Kings’ Tyrese Haliburton or Hawks’ John Collins https://t.co/khY87AoJuP

— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) January 24, 2022

Needless to say, the Kings and Hawks were not interested in sacrificing their futures in packages like these for a player who has chosen to sit out the season because he's, essentially, no longer comfortable playing in front of his team's fans. 

According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, however, the Kings would be willing to trade Fox for Simmons, but the prospect of also taking on Harris' $112.9M puts the kibosh on those discussions. 

And so the Simmons drama continues. And according to another report today, it seems that Daryl Morey has his sights set on another plan.

Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports