Report: Sacramento linked to Ben Simmons yet again

We’ve now gotten through the NBA Draft and the majority of free agency; two events that brought change and new players to the roster. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the fact Ben Simmons is a Sixer — which may be somewhat surprising depending on your stance. The rumors and talks will only get louder from here on out, as Damian Lillard, the player the Sixers are aiming for by all accounts, is finally back from his Olympic trip.

Today we got another report from a California team, the Sacramento Kings. Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee reported that the Kings are listening to offers to propel their team into the postseason.

Multiple sources tell The Sacramento Bee the Kings have shown interest in both Ben Simmons and Pascal Siakam, the two most prominent names linked to Sacramento since the trade and free agency frenzy began. Some remain skeptical the Kings can pull off that kind of deal, but McNair wants to make an impact move as pressure to win begins to build within the organization 11 months after he was hired, sources said.

Sacramento has been a long rumored suitor for Ben Simmons — and it makes a lot of sense from both an on- and off-the-court perspective. Bleacher Report’s Jason Dumas recently reported that Simmons was open to landing with one of the California teams on The Morning Roast 97.3.

Simmons won’t have much, if any, leverage to determine where he lands with his next team. He’s under contract for the next four seasons, and the last thing on any teams’ mind that’s trading for him is his upcoming free agency.

It looks like the Sacramento Kings want to make a big swing — and for good reason, as they haven’t made the postseason in over a decade. They were a team heavily rumored to be involved in trade talks that never materialized. Adding Davion Mitchell to their team was somewhat of a shock as they already have two very talented guards in De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. Could one of their young guard trio be on the move? It’s possible.

I highly doubt that the Sixers and Kings would manage to make a deal together, at least in a standard two-team transaction. The Philly Voice’s Kyle Neubeck reported that there was very little chance of any deal happening between the Kings and Sixers, unless De’Aaron Fox was put into talks. And that was simply viewed as a “starting point” in negotiations.

Daryl Morey does have past ties to Sacramento’s Monte McNair as he was working under Morey as an assistant GM, along with other roles, for many years in Houston.

Is there solid momentum with a deal involving Sacramento? Is this a play for leverage by the Sixers? You can bring up a lot of questions with this report, among others. One thing is for certain though: Simmons’ talks seem to be heating up, and will continue to do so with time.