PHILADELPHIA — Information plus motivation is greater than depreciation. That’s the calculation Sixers president Daryl Morey has made. As long as it holds, Ben Simmons will remain trapped in basketball purgatory, trapped in that realm where only the spirits play. Maybe the balance of that equation changes between now and Thursday, when the NBA trade deadline arrives. By no means is it a given.
If that still surprises you at this point, you need to start paying closer attention. Can the Sixers afford to wait until the offseason to trade Simmons? Not only can they, it’s increasingly looking like the most sensible option.
Morey has made it clear that he will not trade Simmons until he gets an offer that significantly betters their odds at competing for a title. There will come a point when the best available offer becomes the most rational move. That point is when the costs of holding on to him outweigh the benefits. Many people think the Sixers have long crossed that point. In reality, they are nowhere close.
