Ben Simmons Trade Rumors: 'Remarkably Little' Talk About 76ers PG Ahead of Christmas

AP Photo/Matt Rourke

There has reportedly been "remarkably little" movement on the Ben Simmons trade front as Christmas approaches.

Marc Stein noted that trades are a "secondary thing" across the NBA as teams deal with the fallout from rampant positive tests for COVID-19. Several games have been postponed over the last two weeks, and the majority of the league is playing with a bare-bones roster filled with 10-day fill-ins and G Leaguers.

Simmons has not played for the Sixers this season after requesting a trade over the summer, holding out of training camp and then citing mental health issues after reporting to the team after camp began. It seems unlikely at this point that Simmons will ever play another game for the Sixers, though there has not been any clarity about his status.

“I don’t know any of that. That’s the stuff that I’ve intentionally stayed out of. I have enough on my plate. I don’t feel like I’ve needed to add that," Sixers coach Doc Rivers told reporters of Simmons' progression toward a return. 

Rivers said he has spoken to Simmons but didn't divulge any details on their conversation.

Trade talks have ground to a halt across the NBA as teams simply try to get enough players on their roster to field a team on a nightly basis. It's unlikely any major moves happen until this wave of COVID-19 stops turning the NBA into a glorified G League. Healthy bodies are too precious of a commodity at this point.

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It's likely we won't see any real heating up on the trade market until well after the start of the new year.