PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Ben Simmons was spared from Draft Night trades on Thursday, continuing the widespread speculation over his future with the 76ers.
The day before the draft, the Sixers were reportedly searching for trade options, while Simmons and his agent were “in step with a move elsewhere.”
In an ESPN telecast, Adrian Wojnarowski indicated that the Sixers want a lot for Simmons, hearing that it’s “Harden-esque” — referencing the lucrative package of picks and players the Brooklyn Nets dealt for James Harden.
It’s not crazy to assume that the Sixers also want a star. In the end, Wojnarowski said the Sixers evidently aren’t going to settle, but the book isn’t closed on moving on from Simmons.
After the hours-long draft, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey evaded questions about Simmons and Joel Embiid at a press conference.
“Frankly, I’m focused on the draft and the three guys excited to be here” — late first-round pick and guard out of Tennessee Jaden Springer, as well as second-round picks Filip Petrušev and Charles Bassey, Morey said. “We’re back in the office tomorrow with the staff and have a lot of important work to do on the roster going forward.”
Bassey comes from western Kentucky, while Petrušev played overseas in Serbia and previously for Gonzaga. Morey indicated that Petrušev will probably play overseas at first after getting drafted by the Sixers. He said the goal is to have all three participate in the upcoming summer league.
As far as Springer, Morey sees a lot of potential in the 18-year-old.
“Jaden’s really exciting,” Morey said. “Boy, I know GMs get killed for talking about upside but he’s not 19 yet, already a productive player at Tennessee. We feel good about his ability to be a 3-and-D player in this league. We all know how valuable they are.”