The situation between the Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons is likely to extend past the February 10th NBA trade deadline, according to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic.
The Sixers would reportedly prefer to use Simmons as a chip to pursue a superstar like James Harden in the offseason "rather than take what's available on the current market."
The Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks are the most engaged teams in discussing a potential deal for Simmons, but neither team has met Daryl Morey's threshold in terms of a the return for Simmons.
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A few weeks ago, Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer wrote about a potential sign and trade in the offseason which would send Harden to Philadelphia. Stephen A. Smith of ESPN also mentioned this possibility in October.
Morey was the GM of the Houston Rockets from 2007-2020 before becoming the 76ers' president of basketball operations and famously acquired Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a blockbuster bringing him to Houston and revitalizing the franchise.
Even last season before Simmons requested a trade, when Harden was still a member of the Rockets, there was widespread speculation that the Sixers were heavily trying to trade Simmons for Harden, but ultimately the Brooklyn Nets landed the superstar guard.
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Simmons, 25, has not played a game for the Sixers this season, as he continues to seek a trade. Simmons is a three-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA first team defender. He signed a five-year contract worth $170 million in 2019. He has already made approximate $90 million and he is due around another $114 million over the next three seasons, according to spotrac.com.