Kings are one of seven teams interested in Ben Simmons trade

Trade talks around the NBA are heating up, as The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on Monday morning, and the Philadelphia 76ers remain committed to moving their superstar guard Ben Simmons. The noise around the Sacramento Kings have interest in Simmons has calmed in recent weeks, but according to Charania, they’re still hoping to get a deal done:

The New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers are among the teams interested in Simmons, sources said, although it’s unclear how much traction Philadelphia truly has on any move.

Over half the of the teams looking to get involved for Simmons — Sacramento included — all have blaring roster issues: they have stars in their own right, but none that have managed to help their teams break through the ceiling of mediocrity and morose for the first quarter of the season. Whether this becomes a two-team or three-team deal, one team has to agree that they’re a Ben Simmons-trade away from taking the next step.

If the Kings believe they’re that team, they’ll have to meet Daryl Morey’s high demands:

The 76ers are currently asking teams for an All-Star-caliber player and/or multiple first-round draft picks for Simmons, sources said.

By that definition, any potential Simmons package in Sacramento would include De’Aaron Fox, or some combination of Marvin Bagley III, Davion Mitchell and picks. The bar has definitely been shifted for the Sixers’ front office, as they went from an elusive list of 30 names to bartering with .500 teams looking to crack into the next echelon of contention.

All eyes are on Monte McNair to nab a superstar, as Wednesday, Dec. 15, marks the start of the unofficial green light for teams across the league to shake up their rosters. McNair has picked up the phone all offseason long and didn’t get any significant deals done, so now is the time for him to get aggressive and give the Kingdom hope in what has been an disappointing start to the season.