Sixers Rumors: There is a Dark Horse Candidate Interested in Ben Simmons

The Sixers made Ben Simmons available for trade not too long after they dropped Game 7 to the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the playoffs a few months ago. When Simmons officially became available, a handful of teams reached out to inquire about Daryl Morey's asking price. 

Those who reached out found out that Morey would not sell Simmons for pennies on the dollar despite his value being at an all-time low after a rough showing in the postseason. Therefore, the Sixers have yet to move the All-Star guard.

Training camp is just weeks away. With the 76ers gaining little-to-no traction on getting a deal done right now, it seems there is a high chance Simmons remains on board when training camp rolls around.

At this point, it's clear Simmons doesn't intend to show up as he wants a trade done sooner than later. While Simmons' willingness to hold out hasn't drawn a ton of new suitors, NBA insider Brian Windhorst recently reported that there is a dark horse team getting involved in the Simmons sweepstakes these days.

"I know of at least one other team who is a small market team that has made an offer and has a lot of interest," Windhorst said on The Scoop Podcast with Darren Wolfson. "It just hasn’t gotten public yet."

Only a handful of teams have been consistently linked to Ben Simmons throughout the offseason. Per Windhorst, there are "four or five" teams who have a lot of interest in acquiring the three-time All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

While Windhorst didn't name any organizations, it's become clear that the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Sacramento Kings are likely among those who have a lot of interest. Based on previous rumors, the Toronto Raptors and the Golden State Warriors could also be in the mix.

As for the small-market team that Windhorst described, it's unclear who that could be. Perhaps, the Indiana Pacers poked their heads back into the sweepstakes after being linked to Simmons early on in the process as they reportedly made an offer to the Sixers. 

Or maybe the rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to add a young veteran into the mix as they start thinking about transitioning to the next phase of their master plan. Right now, it's unclear who that dark horse team might be, but it's apparent that a new name could get linked to Simmons sooner than later.

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