Imagine telling someone three years ago that both Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons were subject to trade speculation despite being on contending playoff rosters. 

But that's where we're at, just a few weeks away from NBA Tip-Off 2021 on October 19—the Brooklyn Nets' Irving and Philadelphia 76ers' Simmons are both at the center of trade talk.

For the former, it appears that most of the conversations constitute hot air. For the latter, rumors and actual quotes alike are spicy, but the trade possibilities are ultimately unclear. Here, we'll unpack both situations and try to clear things up.

Kyrie Expected To Stay a Net, Whether He Plays or Not

As reported by Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer, the Kyrie situation is a weird one. League sources initially felt that his current reluctance to cooperate with city requirements suggested he was "attempting to leverage a trade." 

But Fischer's sources have also, and conversely, "strongly pushed back on the notion that either Irving or the Nets are looking to make such a move." 

And, even if those sources are incorrect and Irving or the Nets do see a way toward splitting up, it's not clear that he even has a legitimate market. As reported by The Crossover podcast's Chris Mannix, Kyrie's current trade value is "virtually zero … he makes $35 million this year and he's as unpredictable as you get."

Disrespect, Mystery and Simmons Trade Stagnation

Speaking of unpredictability, it seems that no one involved in Simmons trade discussions has made any real headway. With Joel Embiid calling the entire situation "disrespectful," sources across the league seem unconvinced a happy ending is anywhere close to fruition.

One clear team tied to Simmons has been the Portland Trail Blazers, but Blazers Focused podcast's Aaron Fentress isn't convinced by what he's been hearing: "Portland's been hesitant to move [CJ McCollum] for Ben Simmons because they think CJ is a better, more polished adult player than Ben Simmons, who was a bit of a mystery right now."

Further, ESPN's Zach Lowe reported that even the San Antonio Spurs got involved in trade discussions for the 25-year-old point guard, "but those talks have not gotten far."

Ultimately, unlike Irving, it appears that negotiations for Simmons are active and ongoing. But, not for lack of trying, there just hasn't been much momentum thus far. And if the Portland reports are anything to go by, Simmons' value might not be as high as we once thought.