Sixers Rumors: San Antonio Spurs Expressed Interest in Ben Simmons

As they embark on a rebuild, the San Antonio Spurs have been looking to add another notable prospect via the trade market. This past summer, the Spurs reportedly reached out to the Sixers as they considered trading for Philly's disgruntled star Ben Simmons.

According to ESPN NBA Insider Zach Lowe, the trade discussions between San Antonio and Philly's front offices, in fact, happened. However, they haven't gotten very far at the time.

Perhaps, Daryl Morey's asking price has something to do with that. Once Simmons became available via trade over the offseason, the Sixers reportedly asked for an All-Star caliber player to swap Simmons with or several young key players and draft picks.

Considering the Spurs aren't who they used to be, they'd have to go the latter route to land Simmons via trade. At this point, would trading several young players and draft picks for one player be worth their time? Not really.

While Simmons has established himself as an NBA All-Star over the last few seasons, he hasn't proven to be a game-changing franchise player at this point in his career. Defensively, he's one of the best in the league, but his offensive skill set hasn't improved much on the floor since he entered the NBA.

Right now, Simmons' value is at an all-time low. As he wrapped up a disappointing playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, where he averaged under 10 points per game and shot a historically bad 33-percent from the free-throw line, he has significant question marks around him as a player currently.

Sure, the Sixers could move Simmons for a decent package, but it wouldn't put them over the top. Daryl Morey's strategy all offseason long has been to wait it out for other teams to get off to slow starts and add other disgruntled stars to the trade block. He continues to do just that as Simmons trade talks remain almost non-existent right now.

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

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