NBA TRADE TALK: TDL over

[Kammrath]

https://twitter.com/JakeLFischer/status/...1589946379

Each of Minnesota, Golden State, Sacramento and San Antonio has been consistently linked as a top Simmons destination, yet the overwhelming sense among league insiders continues to be that Simmons, for now, is expected to remain a Sixer once training camp opens on September 28—barring a change of temperature with Damian Lillard in Portland.

Trading Simmons now for anything short of a haul that could immediately be flipped for Lillard, in the event he does request a trade, would be a devastating blow for Philadelphia's front office, and their efforts to pair Embiid with a bonafide superstar. 

But that Lillard request may not be coming anytime soon.

There's certainly a possibility Lillard arrives at training camp, looks around Portland's locker room and determines the Trail Blazers roster has not been upgraded to his satisfaction. Yet there's a stronger belief in league circles that Lillard will at least venture into the regular season under new head coach Chauncey Billups, allowing him to revisit moving elsewhere before the trade deadline.

Simmons, on the other hand, appears more than interested in playing for a new team. He expects to be traded and has not personally been in close contact with Morey, Embiid or head coach Doc Rivers this offseason, sources told Bleacher Report. Simmons' representation has further canvassed rival front offices, gauging their interest in creating a new home for the 25-year-old All-Star and this year's runner-up in Defensive Player of the Year.

Toronto, though, was never going to entertain a framework of acquiring Simmons for OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet and the No. 4 pick, which Philadelphia pitched the weekend before July's NBA draft.

there is a faction of the Spurs front office rumored to strongly covet Simmons.

Again, all these variables likely point to Simmons sticking around Philadelphia for the foreseeable future.

There could always be an unforeseen team that emerges in the eleventh hour of this offseason to chase Simmons. Yet the NBA's summer activity has quieted. Most teams are focused on filling out their final roster spots, looking for a fourth point guard or a rangy wing to stash on their bench.

Simmons may have no real choice but to join the Sixers in September and play his way to a new destination, regardless of the icy communication that has persisted all summer, dating back to Rivers' and Embiid's post-Game 7 press conferences.

Whether Simmons is amenable to that of course remains to be seen, but Philadelphia appears prepared for that outcome. Said one veteran front office voice, "Daryl is not afraid to go into training camp with a potentially combustible situation."