Report: Sixers View De'Aaron Fox as 'Starting Point' in Simmons Trade

As the offseason rages on, so does the news revolving around Ben Simmons. While the Sixers have opened trade discussions for the 25-year-old All-Star, it appears the front office has not been blown away by any offers. 

Kyle Neubeck of The PhillyVoice recently reported that the front office is underwhelmed at the packages teams have put together to acquire Simmons. From the beginning, Daryl Morey has remained firm on wanting an All-Star caliber player in return for the former number one pick. 

Morey is not going to trade Simmons just for the sake of doing so. Even with his stock taking a hit in the playoffs, Simmons is still an All-Star-level talent. Teams are going to have to part ways with enticing assets if they want to do business with Morey. 

Take the Sacramento Kings, for example. Neubeck cites in his report that if the two sides were to come to a deal, Kings' guard De'Aaron Fox is the 'starting point' of a possible return. 

Based on reports, the Kings want to pair Simmons with Fox, not part ways with him to get a deal done. Sacramento's offer likely centered around Buddy Heild and former number two pick Marvin Bagley.  

Fox might not have any All-Star nominations under his belt yet, but his development continues to trend in the right direction. This season he posted a career-high 25.2 PPG and dished over seven assists per game. 

Morey understands the position the Sixers are in right now. He is not interested in moving Simmons for multiple pieces. The goal is to orchestrate a deal that gets another star player alongside Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris. 

Still being in the early stages of the offseason, the Simmons saga is sure to drag on through the Summer. If teams are not willing to put out better offers for Simmons, there could be a chance we see him start this season back in a Sixers' uniform. 

The Sixers went and hired Morey for a reason. He is one of the best at what he does. A Simmons deal will only get done if it puts the Sixers in a better position to contend for an NBA championship. 

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