Insider Gives Key Update on Lakers Trade Talks for Sixers Ben Simmons

The Los Angeles Lakers may consider making some changes to the roster ahead of the February 10 trade deadline. The team has a 15-13 record at this point and getting a new player will help them make an impact. According to Jake Fischer from Bleacher Report, LA talked to the Philadelphia 76ers about Ben Simmons.

Well, the Sixers don’t like Russell Westbrook for Simmons. LeBron James and Anthony Davis won’t go anywhere in the near future. Westbrook is the only player to match Simmons’ deal. Fischer also noted that the negotiations about Simmons “never developed very far.”

“One of those players [with potential to match Westbrook’s salary in a trade] is Ben Simmons,” Fischer explained on December 14. “The Athletic reported Los Angeles’ interest in Simmons on Monday, and Westbrook’s salary, outside of James’ and Davis’, is the only number on the Lakers’ books that can match Simmons’ own lofty deal. Even then, Westbrook is not a player on the Sixers’ list of hopeful returns, league sources told B/R, and conversations with the Lakers never developed very far.”

Lakers front office to trade for another player

Shams Charania from The Athletic reported that the Lakers may be the best option for Simmons. Of course, several other teams will try to get Simmons.

“The 76ers are ramping up their efforts to spark multi-team trade scenarios to move Simmons, sources said, and a fresh pool of teams has emerged as potential destinations,” Charania noted on December 14. “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.”

The Lakers may not try too hard to get Simmons. However, these talks make us believe that the team wants to get a new player before the trade deadline. Dan Favale from Bleacher Report said that the Lakers will have to pull out a trade deal to “save their season.”

.@ArashMarkazi weighs in on Ben Simmons joining the LA Lakers ?https://t.co/HUDWl6WigO@HaeJho | @armanibuckets | #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/YPBGQ6kNRx

— Bleav Podcast Network (@BleavPodcasts) December 13, 2021

“Altering the makeup of this team will be difficult,” Favale detailed. “The Lakers’ three highest-paid players are either off-limits (LeBron, AD) or non-assets (Russ). They can combine Talen Horton-Tucker (trade-eligible Jan. 15) and Kendrick Nunn to take back a player making around $18.2 million, but sweetening a package beyond them is tough. They can only deal a first-round pick in 2027 or 2028, offer swaps in 2023 and 2026 and dangle second-rounders. For their sake, they better be prepared to exhaust every asset available to them.”