Knicks have not called Philly about Ben Simmons trade

The Knicks have internally discussed pathways to landing Ben Simmons, but New York has never phoned Sixers brass regarding any potential deal structure, league sources told B/R. It is difficult to imagine a direct scenario where the Knicks could meet Philadelphia’s lofty asking price of a top-tier player without including a third team.
Source: Jake Fischer @ Bleacher Report

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Emiliano Carchia @Sportando
Sixers “number 1 goal” still to convince Ben Simmons to re-join the team
sportando.basketball/en/sixers-numb… – 6:11 AM Dave Early @DavidEarly
Damian Lillard would love to play with Ben Simmons.
Ben Simmons would love to play for any team but his.
The Sixers love Ben Simmons more than any other team.
The Sixers love Dame.
Dame loves Portland.
The maddening love triangle we can all relate to. – 1:25 AM Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
The Atlanta Hawks would benefit greatly from a guy like Ben Simmons in all honesty. Their defense is atrocious. – 12:27 AM Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
The Sixers’ foremost aim, some 30 days away from the trade deadline, remains trying to convince Ben Simmons to come back and play for them this season, league sources say.
This and many other elements of the NBA’s latest trade scuttle all explained here: marcstein.substack.com/p/trade-season… – 3:48 PM Kyle Neubeck @KyleNeubeck
I was chewing on this thought this morning and just decided to write about it — I don’t think it actually matters if the Sixers trade Ben Simmons this year or not (plus some trade intel) phillyvoice.com/sixers-ben-sim… – 2:36 PM Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
This Week In Basketball: My around-the-league Weekend dime-dropping notes column details the latest on the Ben Simmons front and a new potential Simmons suitor and LOTS more trade scuttle as we inch closer to the Feb. 10 deadline.
It’s all one click away: marcstein.substack.com/p/trade-season… – 1:28 PM Michael Pina @MichaelVPina
tired: jaylen brown for ben simmons/damian lillard/bradley beal
wired: this fake trade i wrote 1500 words about si.com/nba/2022/01/07… – 9:57 AM Keith Pompey @PompeyOnSixers
The #Sixers’ Danny Green (left calf tightness) & Isaiah Joe (back pain) are questionable for tonight’s game vs. #Spurs, while Tyrese Maxey, Paul Reed & Jaden Springer remain in COVID-19 protocols. Shake Milton (back) & Ben Simmons are still out. – 7:07 AM Eric Pincus @EricPincus
Latest @BleacherReport Which NBA Buyers Make the Most Sense for a Ben Simmons Trade? (Or why Simmons is still with the Sixers) bleacherreport.com/articles/29521… – 3:00 PM Sean Highkin @highkin
Interesting to me that Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson are both in the top 10 of All-Star voting despite having not played a single game (prior to Kyrie last night) while Ben Simmons is not. – 1:40 PM Keith Pompey @PompeyOnSixers
Michele Roberts blames the #Sixers in the Ben Simmons impasse inquirer.com/sixers/michell… via @phillyinquirer – 10:32 AM Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
Josh Giddey last night:
14 PTS
15 REB
6 AST
Giddey is the first teenager in NBA history to average a triple-double over a three-game span (10.3 PPG, 12.7 RPG, and 10.0 APG).
The only other rookie to do so since the ABA-NBA merger is Ben Simmons (2017-18). pic.twitter.com/rPVb2cHbv9 – 9:11 AM Ethan Strauss @SherwoodStrauss
Live now: Talking Doc Rivers, Adam Silver, Ben Simmons and your questions with @SpikeEskin callin.com/link/pDCltoXBII – 11:00 PM Ethan Strauss @SherwoodStrauss
Talking Doc Rivers, Adam Silver and Ben Simmons with @SpikeEskin in an hour. Drop by, listen, ask Qs callin.com/link/pDCltoXBII – 10:00 PM Ethan Strauss @SherwoodStrauss
I’ll be hosting a House of Strauss with @SpikeEskin tonight at 11:00 PM ET / 8:00 PM PT. Talking Doc Rivers’ apathy, Adam Silver’s lack of leadership, the Ben Simmons situation and more. Join us! callin.com/link/pDCltoXBII – 8:35 PM Sirius XM NBA @SiriusXMNBA
“If I’m a Philadelphia fan, I’d be pissed.”
@TheNBPA Executive Director @MRobertsNBPA tells @Rick Kamla and @adaniels33 she would like the Sixers to do more to resolve the Ben Simmons situation. pic.twitter.com/ZklUzemQKr – 6:03 PM Kyle Neubeck @KyleNeubeck
The Kings are now reportedly open to making De’Aaron Fox or Tyrese Haliburton available if the right deal materializes. Some thoughts on both players, Sixers’ preferences, and what that means for Ben Simmons trade market phillyvoice.com/nba-trade-rumo… – 2:48 PM

More on this storyline

Canvassing several NBA sources, none like the idea of Randle and Simmons on the floor together. And yet, the Knicks certainly have the assets needed to get a deal done if the Sixers are looking for multiple prospects. Or if they find a third team open to sending a playoff-ready veteran to Philadelphia in exchange for New York’s many young players. -via Bleacher Report / January 8, 2022 The 76ers will be discussing various Simmons trade scenarios for the next month, but actually trading him before the NBA’s annual trade buzzer is not their preferred scenario. As it stands. Convincing Simmons to rejoin the team and play as much of the remaining schedule as possible, according to one source familiar with Philadelphia’s thinking, is the club’s “goal No. 1” when it comes to the wayward playmaker. -via marcstein.substack.com / January 7, 2022 More than four weeks are left in this trade season for the Sixers to amend that stance, but the vibe they continue to emit — no matter how loudly outsiders push back — is that they believe waiting can indeed enhance their chances of acquiring a Damian Lillard or a Bradley Beal for Simmons. As it stands. -via marcstein.substack.com / January 7, 2022