Sixers Rumors: 5 Teams Considered to be Suitors for Potential Ben Simmons Trade

The Philadelphia 76ers have a tough choice to make this offseason. After several offseasons were filled with talks of the Sixers potentially splitting up Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, Philly's front office is finally open for business regarding Simmons this year.

According to a report from The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Sixers have "opened up trade conversations surrounding Simmons." Following Simmons' disappointing second-round series against the Atlanta Hawks this past playoff run, his future in Philly has a large question mark around it.

While Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey will more than likely remain patient with trade talks as he's in no rush to move on from the 24-year-old guard, it seems it's only a matter of time before Simmons dons a new uniform for the first time in his NBA career as the calls come in. 

Who's Inquiring?

A few weeks ago, it was reported the Sixers met with Simmons' agent Rich Paul while out in Chicago for the NBA Draft Combine. At the time, Paul and the Sixers didn't conclude they wanted Simmons elsewhere, and trade talks didn't happen then.

At this point, that doesn't seem to be the case. Lately, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been frequently linked to Simmons trade rumors as they reportedly want the veteran guard "badly." In a new report from Marc Stein, the T'Wolves are considered suitors for Simmons.

But they aren't alone. In addition to Minnesota, the Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings, and the Toronto Raptors are also considered suitors, per Stein's report. Aside from the Raptors, none of the other teams mentioned above should come off as shocking since they've all been linked to Simmons over the last couple of weeks as trade rumors began emerging.

According to Shams Charania, the Sixers are seeking an All-Star caliber player in return for Simmons. While a couple of the interested suitors have that, none necessarily possess an NBA All-Star in his prime like Simmons.

The good news is that Stein expects more suitors to emerge over time. As the beginning of the new league year approaches, teams are beginning to gameplan for changes. So far, the Sixers haven't received any interest worth truly looking into at the moment, but a lot can and will change over the course of the offseason.

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