NBA Rumors: Kings Remain Interested in Ben Simmons After Slow Start

Ever since Ben Simmons requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers, several teams have had ongoing conversations with the Sixers to check in on the price of

Ever since Ben Simmons requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers, several teams have had ongoing conversations with the Sixers to check in on the price of the three-time All-Star. Many teams found out early on that Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey would not sell Simmons for pennies on the dollar.

The Sacramento Kings were among those teams who inquired about the availability of Simmons. While Sacramento was reportedly trying to center a package around Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley to acquire Simmons, they found out it would cost at least De'Aaron Fox or Tyrese Haliburton to discuss a Simmons to Sacramento trade seriously.

At that point, the Kings moved on without getting into serious trade talks with the Sixers. The Kings hoped that the Fox and Haliburton-led backcourt would be enough for them to contend for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, but they found out that might not be the case.

Getting off to a 16-24 start to the season, the Kings are currently on the outside looking in at the Western Conference playoff picture. A lot can change throughout the remainder of the season, but Sacramento's front office understands that they could use an upgrade. Therefore, Simmons remains a possible target, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Still on the Radar

"Wherever there’s an impact player who can be had, in other words, they’ll be exploring the possibilities. And yes, as you likely wondered, that includes Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons.

"While I reported in early September that a Kings-Simmons deal was looking very unlikely, that was long before team officials had a chance to see nearly half a season’s worth of (mostly subpar) play. Sacramento’s interest is definitely there." - Amick

At this point in the season, the Kings have switched their stance based on everything that's transpired over the last couple of months. Initially, Fox and Haliburton were off the table. Now, that's reportedly not the case.

The Kings have changed their perspective; Have the Sixers? According to Amick, Daryl Morey hasn't switched his thought process at all. Simmons had an expensive price tag attached to him during early talks between the Sixers and the Kings, and nothing has changed months later.

It's unclear how much the Sixers value a possible Fox or Haliburton swap for Simmons, but the Kings are slowly becoming more open to moving one of the two. As the trade deadline inches closer, the Kings are definitely a team to watch as the Simmons saga continues to play out.

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