Anonymous NBA Scout Believes Sixers Should Keep Ben Simmons

Over the last few seasons, many within the media -- national and local -- have suggested the Philadelphia 76ers should split up the Ben Simmons-Joel Embiid duo. While the conversations regarding the topic of trading one or the other became extremely popular over time, the Sixers never really seriously considered it.

However, that's changed. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Sixers are officially open for business regarding a potential Simmons trade. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering the Sixers lost in the second round of the playoffs for the third time in four seasons.

While Simmons' struggles weren't the sole reason the Sixers lost to the Atlanta Hawks in seven games last month, his offensive limitations surely didn't do them any favors. After Doc Rivers questioned whether Simmons could will a team to a championship as a point guard, and Embiid subliminally called out Simmons' unwillingness to turn the tide offensively after Game 7, it became clear a potential trade could come in the future.

But one anonymous NBA scout believes the Sixers should take a step back and really consider keeping the soon-to-be fifth-year player. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Marc Narducci, the scout believes it's too early to give up.

"I would be damned to give up on him and not get superior talent back," the scout said, per Narducci. "The guy is an All-Star caliber player. He will never be the greatest shooter, but he does a whole lot for the team and I would not give up on him yet."

According to Shams Charania, the Sixers want at least an All-Star caliber player in return for Simmons if they trade him. While it seems Simmons is surely gone before next season begins, the Sixers aren't going to trade him for the sake of getting a deal done and moving on. If the right trade isn't there, then the three-time All-Star isn't going anywhere. 

But don't think for a second the Sixers are going to shy away from talking shop with other organizations because they believe they would be making a mistake to move on from the 24-year-old too early. While Simmons has a high ceiling, the All-Star has proven to be unwilling to expand his game outside of the practice facility since making his Sixers debut a few years ago.

While the young star is certainly a valuable player, it's clear his offensive shortcomings have hurt the Sixers when it matters the most. As Simmons struggled offensively in three second-round series with the Sixers, they have more than enough evidence to allow them to feel comfortable with moving on if the right deal is available to them.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.