NBA Rumors: Possibility of Ben Simmons Returning to Sixers Has Increased

Ben Simmons requested a trade not too long after the Sixers dropped Game 7 in the second round of the playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks. 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey was open to moving the young star, but only for the price he desired.

Morey's demands are high for a Simmons trade. If a team isn't willing to trade an All-Star caliber player in his prime, then they have to cough up several young and valuable players along with a handful of notable draft picks.

So far, not a single team has been willing to meet Morey's demands. Therefore, the Sixers would like the three-time All-Star to return to Philly ahead of the 2021-2022 NBA season. Unfortunately, Simmons is checked out on the Sixers.

Last week, it seemed Simmons was really one-hundred percent committed to his holdout. This week, the narrative shifted a bit. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Sixers officials and Simmons' agent Rich Paul have "progressed in talks over recent days on a resolution" to have Simmons play for the Sixers again.

"Simmons could soon speak directly with team officials, something he hasn't done directly since a late August meeting in Los Angeles when he reiterated his desire to be traded, sources told ESPN. He has become more open to the possibility of ending his time away from the team and reporting to Philadelphia, which has been a focus of continuing talks between Paul and the organization, sources said."

The Sixers haven't entirely given up on the idea of trading Simmons away. Per Wojnarowski, they plan to continue searching for deals to ship out the three-time All-Star as requested. But as Morey and the front office fail to find a deal worth considering, they'd prefer to have the All-Star back in the mix in hopes of finding a resolution at some point.

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