Discussions over Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons' future with the franchise began in Chicago this week and included Simmons' agent, Clutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and Sixers management, sources told ESPN.
Sources said Paul met with Daryl Morey, President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Alton Brand, at the pre-draft combine, to begin evaluating the next steps in Simmons' Sixers career.
Sources said Paul spoke to the Sixers about whether it made sense to work together to find a trade before the start of next season, but no requests were made and the sides were asked to return to the July 29 NBA Draft and August free agency. Further talks are expected to continue. . Sources said the 76ers are committed to keeping Simmons a central part of their franchise.
Simmons, 24, has four years and $147 million left on his contract.
After Simmons' season ended in a disappointing seven-game Eastern Conference semifinal loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the Sixers are focused on his shooting heat. Sources said Simmons and coach Doc Rivers met this week to discuss plans for improvement.
Sources said that despite Simmons scoring a combined 19 points in the last three games against the Hawks, his trade value in the market is still significant.
Teams are using the Chicago pre-draft camp to gauge the Sixers' interest in trade packages, sources said, although Philadelphia is reluctant to break the tandem of Joel Embiid and Simmons without maximizing the return and Simmons' offense. All possibilities to improve have been exhausted. , the sources said.
At his postseason news conference Tuesday, Morey declined to make a definitive statement on Simmons' long-term future in Philadelphia.
"We have a very strong group that we believe in," Morey said. "None of us can predict the future of what's going to happen in any given place. We love what Ben brings, Joel love what he brings, we love what Tobias [Harris] Joe brings." What's next, we are with every single player on the roster to do what's best for the 76ers to have the best chance of winning the championship."
"I think it's pretty straightforward what some of the players need to improve," Morey said.
Simmons' free throw shooting dropped to 34.2% in the playoffs.
"We need to be a better offensive team," More said. "...Frankly, if we're screaming in the second round, it tells me that unfortunately we're not good enough ... to win the title, so we need to get better."