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As per NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Atlanta Hawks are still in for Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Simmons is the biggest name in the trade market before the deadline on February 10. The latest NBA rumors have linked Simmons with the Timberwolves and the Hawks after the Sacramento Kings ended their pursuit of the Sixers superstar.
As per Wojnarowski, the Kings are no longer involved in the Ben Simmons sweepstakes. With Sacramento out of the equation, only a handful of teams remain interested in acquiring Simmons before the trade deadline.
"There's no shortage of teams who would like Ben Simmons on their roster. But the list of teams who are willing to meet the Sixers' price or even really engage with the Sixers now is shorter. There are teams like Atlanta. They certainly have interest in him. There are a number of others. Minnesota has interest," Wojnarowski said.
The Hawks and the Timberwolves were linked with Simmons earlier in the season. The Hawks have several assets like John Collins to offer to Philly, while the Timberwolves have made a bunch of offers not involving Karl-Anthony Towns or Anthony Edwards.
Wojnarowski added that the Sixers are not afraid to let Simmons remain with them past the trade deadline and into the offseason. The Sixers believe there could be more superstars available in the offseason when teams don't win the championship and more players want out of their teams.
Philadelphia 76ers hope to convince Ben Simmons to play in the postseason
The Philadelphia 76ers currently have a season record of 29-19, which is good for sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings. However, the Sixers are just 2.5 games behind first place, and they are one of the hottest teams in the league at the moment.
Joel Embiid has led the Sixers this season, despite early struggles and a bout with COVID-19. He's playing like an MVP, averaging 28.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. The Sixers are one of the deepest teams in the NBA, and they are doing it all without their second-best player in Simmons.
According to Wojnarowski, the Sixers are hoping to convince Simmons to suit up for a postseason run. Simmons' camp has been clear that he has played his last game in Philadelphia, and is not afraid to sit out the entire 2021-22 NBA season.
"I think there's still going to be the hope that they get past the trade deadline and somehow they can convince Ben Simmons to return and play for this team. He has been adamant that that's not going to happen. I don't think it's an expectation that it's going to happen, but it is still a hope in Philly," Wojnarowski said.
It remains to be seen how the Simmons saga evolves.
