76ers Rumors: Tobias Harris Being Attached to Ben Simmons in Trade Discussions
January 11, 2022
If the Philadelphia 76ers move Ben Simmons before the NBA's Feb. 10 trade deadline, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey could be looking to make it a package deal with Tobias Harris.
On The Hoop Collective Podcast (starts at 40:05 mark), ESPN's Marc Spears reported the Sixers have had talks with the Atlanta Hawks about Simmons, but the deal is "considered a long shot" because Philadelphia wants to include Harris.
Brian Windhorst added that the 76ers "can't necessarily get an All-Star that they want in return right now" for Simmons, so they have talked to teams about trades for him and Harris together.
Simmons' status with the 76ers has been one of the biggest stories in the NBA dating back to the offseason. He has yet to appear in a game this season, but that could change if Philadelphia gets what it wants.
Marc Stein reported on Substack that the Sixers would like to get Simmons play in games:
"The 76ers will be discussing various Simmons trade scenarios for the next month, but actually trading him before the NBA’s annual trade buzzer is not their preferred scenario. As it stands.
"Convincing Simmons to rejoin the team and play as much of the remaining schedule as possible, according to one source familiar with Philadelphia’s thinking, is the club’s 'goal No. 1' when it comes to the wayward playmaker."
During the offseason, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the 76ers were seeking an All-Star player back if they were going to trade Simmons.
It would presumably be easier to convince an interested team to give up an All-Star-caliber player if Simmons were playing in games at a high level.
Trying to attach Harris to any Simmons deal seems like it would make a move harder to facilitate because of the money and Harris' performance so far this season. They are combining to make nearly $69 million in 2021-22.
Harris, who is owed $76.9 million over the next two seasons, is averaging 18.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game in 29 starts. His 45.9 field-goal percentage is the second-lowest of his career (45.5 percent in 2012-13).