Report: Celtics interested in Ben Simmons, Sixers would require Jaylen Brown in return
The rocky relationship between Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers has continued into the early part of the NBA season, and for the first time, it looks like there could be a new suitor in the mix to break the two parties up for good.
The Boston Celtics have engaged in talks to acquire Simmons, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Monday. Any deal for the DPOY runner-up would reportedly have to include Celtics All-Star forward Jaylen Brown.
Word of Brown being included in trade rumors with Simmons sent Twitter into an expected frenzy on Monday.
As CBS Sports points out, Boston is looking to rebound from a 4-6 start to their season and is contending with Brown being criticized by teammate Marcus Smart for not passing the ball enough -- something that Simmons is quite good at. However, Brown is more likely to shoot and score, something Simmons was heavily criticized for not doing as the Atlanta Hawks booted Philadelphia from last season's NBA Playoffs.
Whether Brown is involved in a trade or not, a split between Simmons and the Sixers appears more and more inevitable by the day. The 25-year-old Australian has yet to play a game for Philly this season, citing mental health issues. The Sixers have been frustrated by the lack of information Simmons' doctors have provided the team. This follows a tumultuous offseason in which Simmons was criticized by teammates following their playoff exit and then asked to be traded.
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