NBA Rumors: Ben Simmons Open to Playing With Golden State Warriors

We have now reached another key date in the NBA offseason, and Ben Simmons remains a member of the Sixers. Through Daryl Morey's continued efforts of finding a suitable trade partner, a deal has yet to emerge. 

Teams continue to be a revolving door in the rumor mill regarding this situation. One team that continues to cycle through is the Golden State Warriors. After reportedly being out of the hunt for Simmons, their name has resurfaced in rumors. 

Throughout this saga, there has been minimal talk of Simmons having a preference of where he ends up. Part of this stems from his minimal leverage, being under contract for the next four seasons. The latest news to come up finally mentions some form of the 25-year-old hinting where he might want to get dealt. 

Jason Dumas of Bleacher Report recently reported that Simmons would be open to joining Golden State. 

Joining the Warriors is arguably the best-case scenario for the three-time All-Star. He will be joining a competitive team, along with being put in a situation that best highlights his skill set. 

Since stepping foot in the NBA, Simmons has been among the league's best in creating open threes for his teammates. What better team to put him on than the Warriors, who have the best shooting backcourt of all time. 

There is only one downside of Simmons joining the Warriors. Due to him and Draymond Green being so similar, it is questionable if they could co-exist on the same team. 

The other part of what makes this possible deal unlikely is what Golden State has to offer. Morey has remained firm on wanting an All-Star caliber player in exchange for Simmons, but the Warriors are not looking to break up their core. 

A package for Simmons would likely include Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, and other young players. That type of return doesn't move the needle for the Sixers, who are still looking to win now. 

As we inch closer to the start of training camp, the talk around Simmons is only going to increase. Now that he has listed Golden State as a spot he is open to joining, they are once again a team to monitor moving forward.

Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers for South Jersey's 97.3 ESPN and Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @KevinMcCNBA.