Cavs Still Among Teams With Trade Interest In Ben Simmons

The Cavaliers are among the teams that continue to have an interest in available All-Star guard Ben Simmons, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

A Cavs front office source recently told Hoops Wire that Charania checks in with the team to confirm information, so there’s a good chance that the Cavs’ interest in Simmons is indeed still there.

While talks between the Cavs and 76ers are viewed as exploratory, sources have told Hoops Wire that Cavs guard Collin Sexton would highly likely be involved in any such trade — whether it involved just the Cavs and Sixers, or three or more teams.

The 76ers have recently ramped up trade talks surrounding Simmons ahead of Wednesday, when players who signed offseason contracts are eligible to be traded, as ESPN relayed. Simmons has been sitting out since the start of training camp as both he and the 76ers seek a trade.

The 76ers are aiming to receive a “top 25-level player” as part of a return for Simmons, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Sources have told Hoops Wire that a Simmons deal is more likely to involve at least three teams, than be just a straight-up trade between two.

Meanwhile, the Cavs (16-12) are hardly desperate to make a deal, given that they’ve won seven of nine entering Monday and are off to a surprising start overall. But it’s become very clear they are looking to add another scorer and dynamic player in the absence of the injured Sexton, out for the year after knee surgery.

Along with Simmons and the 76ers, the Cavs have been in talks with the Pacers, presumably about shooting guard Caris LeVert, according to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon. As of the weekend, Sexton had not yet been a part of those talks, Vardon added.

Charania cited the Knicks, Lakers, Trail Blazers, Timberwolves, Kings and Pacers as others exploring a Simmons trade. Blazers interim general manager Joe Cronin recently said he is indeed looking to make a deal ahead of the Feb. 10 trade deadline, though did not offer specifics.