A Simmons trade in sight
Despite recent reporting from Ballsack Sports, Daryl Morey thinks he can get the Kings to fall for a Ben Simmons trade.
Daryl Morey went on Philadelphia's 97.5 The Fanatic for an interview yesterday, and it just about broke everyone's brain. He simultaneously expressed their desperation to help Joel Embiid via trade while confirming that he would love Simmons back on the team.
Weaving in out of questions like mom whose late to her kid's soccer practice, Morey did in fact make two things clear:
They would be ecstatic if Tyrese Haliburton was sent back in a Ben Simmons trade.
NBA fans need to stop listening to fake trade rumors concocted by Ballsack Sports.
Please watch the clip above. Daryl Morey name-dropped Ballsack Sports as a Twitter account making trade negotiations more difficult for him, and as a key point of frustration for fans. Morey went on to say that there's only one reporter who has been credible on the situation (signs point to PhillyVoice.com's Kyle Neubeck) and that was upset at Ballsack Sports' post in which they said the Sixers turned down a return of Buddy Hield, Tyrese Haliburton, and Harrison Barnes for Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Matisse Thybulle.
Morey wouldn't want to make that trade, but he sure would love to get Haliburton. First, this tweet, out of context:
Next, this lengthy quote from Neubeck's piece plays as a direct challenge to the Kings (emphasis mine):
"I think with how great Joel is, our line has moved down a little bit. Because Joel has lifted us to contention by his sheer will of greatness this year, that does the number of deals we would do more likely. It's more likely that we can find ones that get us into the top few contention because of how great Joel is playing. So we are sitting right now at a better chance of a trade that actually helps Joel and the Sixers," Morey said. "[Before], we absolutely need to get an impact player, but there's an impact player that has to be in the top 30 of the league. Because Joel is playing amazing and has lifted us into probably five percent plus title odds just on his play, now we might be able to do it with a top-40 player who's a great fit. Or we could do it where we do a trade, it helps the team, it's a better fit, and maybe our future opportunities are still open because we get some draft picks as part of it."
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"So it helps the odds enough this year and we maybe have a draft pick or a young player who can help us into the future, who might develop like if we got a player a caliber of a Maxey coming back. We might be able to say okay, we got a really solid player, maybe not in the top 30 but he's a little bit below that, plus a solid young player who over Joel's prime which we're sitting in might develop into that."
All of that sits very clear at the front of mind. Joel is playing amazing, we need to expand our scope of deals, and we'd be perfectly fine getting a young player (similar to Tyrese Maxey) who just so happens to be Tyrese Haliburton.
These quotes also create further questions.
What if it's not Haliburton, but the inclusion of Haliburton in the deal to a third team could get him who he really wants?
He mentions players who are not top-30, but could be top-40. Does that include John Collins? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Brandon Ingram?
The Philadelphia 76ers literally have a seven footer who can play like both Kobe and Shaq. Embiid's injury late in the season last year robbed him of true MVP contention. This year, he once again finds himself in the MVP race with that sloppy fat boy, and has an even better case: he's lifted these Simmons-less Sixers to the fifth spot in the East, only 2.5 games out from the first seed.
Nikola Jokic might be better in every single statistical category, but Embiid has looked like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant this season:
The Sixers are getting desperate. Not Sacramento Kings-desperate, but desperate enough to expand their scope and use the Kings as a trade partner. After all of this time, this deliberation, dating back even prior to the release of ICYMINBA, Simmons could be sent to the unknown: the fourth team in California.​
About last night...
For NBA Draft fiends, we had some breaking news yesterday:
If Sharpe declares for the draft, he immediately jumps into the top-five conversation. And maybe, the no. 1 pick.
We've given out some oohs and ahhs to Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith Jr., and Chet Holmgren. Chances are one of those three names still gets called first on June 23rd, but there's a lot to like about Shaedon Sharpe. He might be the first guard off the board, a 6'5 bouncy wing scorer like Jalen Green with the same sizzle but less flash. The same game, without the fame. Similar poise, without the noise. I love it when draft scouts describe players like they're narrating a cartoon.
Sharpe is good! He could choose to play at Kentucky and not declare for the draft yet. His stock can't get any higher by dominating college ball, and next year's crop of Scoot Henderson and Victor Wembanyama all but confirm he won't be the no. 1 pick. Why not try now?
The Pacers, without any of their best pace cars, walked into Chase Center and knocked off the Warriors in OT. Steve Kerr now joins Frank Vogel as coaches in jeopardy:
That's excellent satire from Faigen. No, Kerr is not going to coach on a game-by-game basis.
No Sabonis, no Turner, no LeVert, no Brogdon, no Warren, no McConnell, no problem. Chris Duarte picked up the slack with a career-high tying 27 points on 10-16 shooting. Rookie center Isaiah Jackson got in on the action, scoring 15 points and pulling down seven rebounds in fifteen minutes of action.
Scores, stats, & notes
Pelicans 102, Knicks 91 — A balanced attack from New Orleans allowed them to win at MSG. The Pelicans shot 50% from the field, and nobody scored more than 20 points. Knicks stay at the 11th spot in the East with a 11-14 record at home.
Suns 109, Mavericks 101 — Dear basketball gods, please give us a Suns-Mavs playoff series. Luka's 28-8-8 wasn't enough for the dub, while Booker paced Phoenix with 28 himself. The Point God had 11 assists with zero turnovers.
Pacers 121, Warriors 117 — Steph's absurd line of 39-5-8 will get lost in the shuffle. What won't be lost is his dance after a vicious poster from GP2: