The Philadelphia 76ers do not appear any closer to trading Ben Simmons now than they were during the summer, but a report this week relayed they could be exploring a new way to entice potential suitors. Like many others, Kyle Kuzma found the idea to be extremely unrealistic.
ESPN’s Marc J. Spears and Brian Windhorst said this week that the Sixers are looking to include star forward Tobias Harris in a potential trade package with Simmons. With Simmons owed $111 million over the next three seasons and Harris owed $77 million over the next two, completing a deal involving both would be incredibly challenging.
Kuzma had a great way of calling attention to that.
He’s right.
One of the biggest obstacles in any potential Simmons deal is the former first overall pick’s salary. Harris has been the No. 2 option behind Joel Embiid in Philly this year and is averaging 18.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists, but it’s highly unlikely a team will be willing to take on both his and Simmons’ contracts.
The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 10. There was recent talk that Simmons could wind up with a very ironic team, but nothing has materialized. It won’t be a shock if that remains the case even beyond the deadline.
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