Georges Niang is a 'Huge Fan' of Ben Simmons, Hopes to Play With Him

The Sixers found themselves a solid backup forward for Tobias Harris in former Utah Jazz player Georges Niang. As the 76ers cut ties with Mike Scott this offseason by not re-upping his contract, Philly's front office was on the hunt for a stretch-four in free agency, and they found one in Niang.

Ever since joining the 76ers, Niang has spoken a lot about his excitement of eventually playing alongside a player like Joel Embiid. However, there hasn't been much said about playing with somebody like Ben Simmons, for apparent reasons.

For the last few months, Simmons has been a topic of discussion when it comes to the Sixers. As the All-Star guard is reportedly on the team's trade block and Simmons is open to a change of scenery, there is a chance the star guard could play for a different team for the first time in his professional career.

But Georges Niang would like it if that wasn't the case. Although Niang understands the NBA is a business and the Sixers are going to do what they think is best for the team, the former Jazz forward seems intrigued with the idea of having Simmons as a teammate for next season as he defended the veteran guard on Sirius XM NBA Radio.

"The kid’s an All-Star. Obviously, you’re saying it takes a certain guy to fit in Philly, but I think he’s a piece of the puzzle that helps you get to that point, like I said, that puts you over the top to win a championship. I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but like I said, I’m a huge fan of him and I’m a huge fan of his abilities. I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but they don’t pay me enough to make those decisions."

Right now, it seems the Ben Simmons trade market has halted. While several teams have shown consistent interest throughout the course of the offseason, none of those teams have what the Sixers are looking for exactly.

As the Sixers keep an eye on the situation out in Portland regarding Damian Lillard, they are finding out for the time being that Lillard is open to giving it another shot with the Trail Blazers.

All signs are beginning to point towards the Sixers having Simmons on the roster when training camp begins next month. Whether he will show up or not is a questionable situation. 

Regardless of whether the Sixers trade Simmons or not, Niang still seems to believe in the three-time All-Star, despite his recent struggles. While he looks forward to potentially playing with Simmons, nobody can be so sure if that's going to happen or not. 

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