It’s no secret: Ben Simmons’ agent Rich Paul is helping the 76ers look for a trade for their All-Star. With Sixers management saying they are willing to bring Simmons into training camp while they wait for a better trade offer, Paul and his team at Klutch Sports are ramping up the pressure with leaks about Simmons possibly missing camp.
Paul and Klutch Sports have another player on the 76ers roster, promising young guard Tyrese Maxey. As the Simmons trade process has dragged on, speculation has ramped up that Paul may look to get Maxey traded, too. Jason Dumas of Bleacher Report and KRON news in Philly had the report.
Source: There’s a high chance that Tyrese Maxey will be a part of any Ben Simmons trade.
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) August 31, 2021
Rich Paul would like both of his clients out of Philadelphia.
A few local Philadelphia based organizations had planned on partnering with Maxey on some community events. They were told to cancel those plans. Paul would not like Maxey to grow roots in Philly if he could be gone.
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) August 31, 2021
The No. 21 pick in 2020, Maxey showed some promise as a rookie in Philly, averaging 8 points a game but more importantly showing speed, an impressive handle, and some creativity attacking off the pick-and-roll. His game seemed to take a step forward at Summer League in Las Vegas, where he averaged 26 points a game and showed himself to simply be too good for that level of play (he only played two games). While a lot of polish is still needed (he shot 30.1% from 3 last season), the potential to be at least a rotation player, and maybe a future NBA starting point guard, is there.
This would be far from the first time an agent, frustrated with a team over one client, tried to get another client off the team. It’s also easier said than done in this case because Maxey is on a rookie contract.
Maxey is another way Paul and Klutch can pressure the 76ers to get a trade done soon and to a place Simmons wants to play. (Reportedly, he wants to go to one of the Lakers, Clippers, or Warriors, but making a trade work for both sides with any of those rosters is challenging at best, especially with the 76ers asking for an All-Star level player in return.)
It’s all a leverage game.
As this gets messier, it’s harder for the 76ers to bring Simmons back to camp at the end of September. Still, Philadelphia GM Daryl Morey knows he gets one swing at this trade and he can’t just hit a bloop single. With Joel Embiid in his prime the 76ers are contenders, and Morey will not take back future picks and cast-off players in a deal — this is a win-now team looking for win-now players. If no team is offering that, he can wait.
And so the game continues.
