Sixers Rumors: Kings' Fox, Haliburton Unlikely Trade Option for Philly

Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers have reached a mutual agreement. As the Sixers are ready to move on from Simmons if a team reaches Daryl Morey's asking price, Simmons himself is officially ready for a trade and has no intentions of playing for the 76ers again, according to a report.

A handful of teams have expressed interest in the three-time All-Star over the course of the offseason. So far, the Sixers haven't found a deal worth making. As Morey wants an All-Star caliber player in return for his three-time All-Star, not too many interested teams have what the Sixers are looking for.

The Sacramento Kings aren't one of those teams. Despite Sacramento coming off of a 31-41 season and missing the playoffs, they have a couple of young players that are of interest to Morey and the Sixers' front office.

Former 5th overall pick De'Aaron Fox has made quite the name for himself since he entered the NBA in 2017. With four years under his belt at age 23, Fox has averaged 18 points, 6.4 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in his career. Last year, he put up a career-high of 25 points per game while shooting 32-percent from three.

Fox certainly fills a need for the Sixers, but the Kings are unwilling to give him up for Ben Simmons in a trade with Philly, according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. And Fox isn't the only untouchable in Sacramento.

Just last season, the Kings drafted Tyrese Haliburton out of Iowa State with the 12th overall pick. He started 20 of the 58 games he appeared in during his rookie season. Averaging 30 minutes on the court, Haliburton put up 13 points per game and collected 5.3 assists per game while draining 41-percent of his threes. 

With both young guards thriving in their roles with the Kings last year, Sacramento refuses to give them up. Could the Kings change their mind if the 76ers throw more in to sweeten a deal for Fox? Possibly. But to Daryl Morey, that's not an option.

While a player like De'Aaron Fox would be a solid addition, he doesn't have nearly as many accolades as Simmons does. Plus, Fox has never played in a postseason matchup since joining the NBA, which adds a question mark to his value. The Kings possess the best possible trade candidate for the Sixers, not named Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal, but like those two veterans, Fox isn't for sale.

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