NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Ben Simmons Trade, Deandre Ayton and Collin Sexton

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Breathe it in, fellow basketball junkies.

The intoxicating smell of a fresh NBA season has arrived, as the 2021-22 marathon finally tips on Tuesday night.

Another offseason wild ride is in the books, but that hasn’t slowed the rumor mill one bit. From ongoing trade chatter to the futures of high-profile players who didn’t land extensions prior to Monday’s deadline, the basketball world is buzzing.

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While Ben Simmons has rejoined the Philadelphia 76ers, his future with the franchise is anything but settled.

Nearly two months have passed since he voiced a trade request to team officials, and he doesn’t exactly look thrilled about the fact he’s still with the team. But in order for Simmons to get his long-awaited split, Philly needs someone to send over an offer it wants. That apparently hasn’t happened yet, as an oft-rumored package from the Indiana Pacers reportedly doesn’t interest the 76ers.

“Recent reports have turned up names like Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert, for example, but sources say the names floated in those talks came primarily from Indiana’s end, with the Sixers never expressing much interest in a Pacers deal or even registering serious talks,” Kyle Neubeck wrote for Philly Voice.


The Sixers are swinging big here, and considering Simmons is a 25-year-old All-Star, they’re justified in doing so. However, that doesn’t mean anyone will meet their asking price, which could create an uncomfortable who-blinks-first game between Simmons and Philadelphia.

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A slew of players from the 2018 draft class inked extensions on or before Monday’s deadline. Deandre Ayton, the top pick from that talent grab, wasn’t one of them.

That might seem like a curious development, considering the skilled center played a pivotal role in helping the Phoenix Suns make their first Finals trip since 1993 (snapping a 10-year playoff drought in the process, no less). But it sounds like this was as simple as Ayton and the Suns disagreeing on his worth.

Ayton sought the “Trae Young max” of five years and $172.6 million, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst relayed on the latest episode of his podcast. However, “the Suns were not willing to give him a five-year contract,” Windhorst added.

This won’t necessarily disrupt Ayton’s future with the franchise, as Phoenix still controls the situation with restricted free agency now looming for the 6’11”, 250-pounder next offseason. Saying that, this could sour his relationship with the organization, and things could get thorny if he goes on to sign an offer sheet with someone else containing terms Phoenix might not want, like a high trade kicker or an early player option.

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Collin Sexton was another high-profile member of the 2018 draft to not ink an extension, which might surprise some since he has the third-most career points of that class.

However, he has yet to contribute to a winning team, and his skill set doesn’t stretch far beyond point-production. That makes him a tricky player to price, which seemingly was the primary culprit behind no deal getting done.

Sexton wanted “a multi-year deal, north of $100 million,” per Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, but the Cavs couldn’t broker a deal. While they still want him around, they “thought it best to not rush an extension, allowing the market to determine Sexton’s true value.”

That’s not a bad business decision, but it all hinges on Sexton’s reception of it. If he doesn’t mind it, this gives him the chance to potentially earn more money but also gives Cleveland more protection against a deal it could end up regretting. On the flip side, he could view this as a lack of confidence from the franchise—as Gordon Hayward once did with the Utah Jazz—and that might sour his view of a future with it.