Ben Simmons Signs Rookie Deal With Sixers
While free agent contracts can’t be signed during the July moratorium, first-round rookies are free to sign their deals, and No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons has done just that. Simmons tweeted out a photo on Saturday that showed him putting pen to paper and making his first NBA contract with the Sixers official.
The cap hold for Simmons had been equal to the rookie scale amount for the first overall pick, which is $4,919,300 for 2016/17. However, as I outlined last month, first-round picks nearly always sign for 120% of that rookie-scale figure, which is the maximum amount allowed. That means Simmons’ cap hit will increase to $5,903,160 now that he’s under contract.
Although some teams will wait to finalize their deals with their first-round rookies in order to maximize their cap flexibility, that shouldn’t be an issue from the Sixers, who are well below the cap and almost certainly won’t need to make use of that extra $1MM or so this summer.
Now that he’s officially under contract, Simmons is set to participate in Summer League option with the 76ers this month.
Sixers Offering Noel, Covington, Picks For No. 3
The Sixers have put Nerlens Noel, Robert Covington, the No. 24 overall pick, and the No. 26 pick on the table in their talks with the Celtics for the third overall pick, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter). Stein reports (via Twitter) that Boston has been holding out for a better offer, with Jimmy Butler at or near the top of Danny Ainge‘s list of targets.
Philadelphia has already nabbed Ben Simmons with the first overall pick tonight, and is believed to be targeting Kris Dunn at No. 3. According to David Aldridge of NBA.com (via Twitter), the Sixers believed a few hours ago that the Celtics and Bulls were “far along” on a trade involving Butler, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.
Still, the C’s and Bulls have had extensive discussions involving Butler. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets that, in addition to the No. 3 pick, Jae Crowder has been a part of those discussions. Avery Bradley is a potential piece as well, tweets Johnson.
Sixers Draft Ben Simmons With No. 1 Pick
As expected, the Sixers opened this year’s draft by taking LSU’s Ben Simmons. The 6’10” Australian native, who has been the consensus No. 1 choice since the beginning of the college season, averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists during his lone season with the Tigers.
After landing the top pick in last month’s lottery, Philadelphia was reportedly deciding between Simmons and Duke forward Brandon Ingram. On Tuesday, the Sixers informed Simmons that he would be their choice.
Simmons is the latest in a string of big men drafted early by the Sixers. He joins a crowded frontcourt that includes Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid and maybe Croatian star Dario Saric. Philadelphia is reportedly trying to package Noel and its selections at Nos. 24 and 26 to obtain a top-eight pick.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Sixers Inform Ben Simmons He’ll Be No. 1 Pick
The 76ers informed Ben Simmons‘ camp this morning that the LSU forward will be the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA draft, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Simmons worked out for Philadelphia today, his first workout for any team, and an earlier report from ESPN’s Marc Stein suggested that agent Rich Paul probably wouldn’t have allowed such a workout without a promise from the Sixers.
Simmons, widely considered the top prospect available – or at least one of the top two along with Duke’s Brandon Ingram – has long been viewed as the favorite to come off the board first overall. The Sixers have reportedly discussed Ingram and Providence point guard Kris Dunn at that spot, but keep coming back to Simmons, who likely has the highest upside of any player in this year’s class.
In addition to working out Simmons today, the Sixers are also privy to his medical records, and are believed to be the only team with access to those records, according to Keith Pompey of Philly.com (Twitter link).
Once the Sixers officially select Simmons, he’ll be the latest forward added to an increasingly crowded frontcourt in Philadelphia. With Joel Embiid aiming to return from injuries, Dario Saric potentially arriving from overseas this year, and Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel also in the mix, the team figures to explore trade options in order to clear its glut of bigs and acquire backcourt help.
As Pompey tweeted today, general manager Bryan Colangelo confirmed that the Sixers have had talks with virtually every NBA team, adding that they probably have “active discussions” with five to seven clubs. While Colangelo didn’t go into specific details, one of those teams is likely the Celtics — a report this week suggested that trade discussions between Boston and Philadelphia may be heating up, since the Sixers are very fond of Dunn and would like to acquire the No. 3 overall pick from the C’s.
Ben Simmons Works Out For Sixers
11:00am: Simmons’ workout with the Sixers is the “strongest indication yet” that the club has promised to take the former LSU forward with the first overall pick, since agent Rich Paul likely wouldn’t have let Simmons work out without such a promise, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
9:52am: After initially appearing as though he wouldn’t work out for any teams leading up to the 2016 NBA draft, top prospect Ben Simmons did indeed have a workout this morning with the Sixers, sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Reports have indicated that the Sixers are strongly leaning toward Simmons with the No. 1 pick over Brandon Ingram, the other consensus top-two prospect in this year’s class. From Simmons’ perspective, there didn’t seem to be much benefit in working out for clubs — even if Philadelphia opted to pass on him with the first overall pick, he’d almost certainly land with the Lakers, initially rumored to be his preferred destination anyway.
However, it seems as if that stance changed, with Simmons getting a look from the Sixers this morning, a few days after meeting with the club. While there have been no reports yet on how today’s workout went, there’s probably not much chance it turned Philadelphia off the former LSU forward.
Let’s check in on a few other Sixers items…
- Trade talks between the Sixers and Celtics may be heating up, according to Gary Tanguay and Tim Welsh of WEEI.com (Twitter link). As we’ve heard before, Philadelphia likes former Providence point guard Kris Dunn a lot, and while the team probably won’t seriously consider Dunn at No. 1, acquiring the No. 3 overall pick from Boston to select him is a possibility. Either Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel would have to be involved in such a deal.
- In addition to working out Simmons, the Sixers also have a six-man workout group in today, according to a team release. The participants are Isaiah Cousins (Oklahoma), Chinanu Onuaku (Louisville), Gary Payton II (Oregon State), Brandon Taylor (Penn State), Tyler Ulis (Kentucky), and Guerschon Yabusele (France).
- Kyle Wiltjer (Gonzaga) is also expected to work out for the Sixers prior to Thursday’s draft, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
Ford On Sixers, Lakers, J. Brown, Celtics
The NBA world may still be recovering this morning from an incredible Game 7 in Oakland on Sunday night, but that recovery will have to happen fast — we’re only three days away from the 2016 NBA draft. As we quickly transition into the 2016 offseason, let’s round up a few of the highlights from Chad Ford’s latest mock draft at ESPN.com (Insider link), which features a handful of interesting draft tidbits…
- The Sixers have had “vigorous internal debates” about the No. 1 pick, with Brandon Ingram and Kris Dunn – who would both be good fits on the roster – receiving consideration. But, as Ford writes, the team keeps coming back to the fact that Ben Simmons is the best prospect in the draft in terms of “sheer talent and upside.” Ford adds that head coach Brett Brown believes he could find a way to use Simmons as a point guard of sorts.
- Although there has been some talk of the Lakers eyeing Marquese Chriss and Jaylen Brown at No. 2, Ford believes those prospects would only be in play for L.A. if the club acquired another lottery pick. Either Simmons or (more likely) Ingram figures to be the pick for the Lakers.
- The Celtics have come up empty so far in their trade talks involving the No. 3 selection. That doesn’t mean Boston will definitely keep the pick, but the team doesn’t have a deal it likes for the time being. If they keep the pick, the Celtics may be leaning toward Brown, who had a “terrific” workout in Boston, says Ford.
- The four players strongly in the mix for the Timberwolves at No. 5 are Brown, Kris Dunn, Jamal Murray, and Dragan Bender, according to Ford.
- While the Kings are “praying” that Buddy Hield falls to No. 8, Ford says Domantas Sabonis could be a dark horse candidate for that spot, since Sacramento is very high on him.
- We heard last week that Malachi Richardson may have received a promise from the Grizzlies at No. 17, and Ford’s mock draft does send Richardson to Memphis. However, the ESPN.com scribe notes that the Grizzlies are also very fond of Croatian big man Ivica Zubac, who could be in play for that slot.
Sixers Notes: Barnes, Simmons, Colangelo, Workout
Free agent Harrison Barnes might be the Sixers’ solution at small forward, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia is hoping to upgrade its perimeter defense, and the only wings currently on the roster are Nik Stauskas, Robert Covington and Hollis Thompson, who are all more valuable as shooters than defenders. The 6’8″ Barnes would bring a mix of offense and defense that coach Brett Brown is looking for, and at 24 he is just entering the prime of his career. Barnes will be a restricted free agent, so Pompey says a max offer may be necessary to discourage the Warriors from matching. The Sixers will have plenty of money available, with a little more than $33.3MM in guaranteed salary against a cap projected at about $94MM.
There’s more news out of Philadelphia:
- Ben Simmons has all the tools to be a great NBA player except outside shooting, Pompey writes in a separate piece. Pompey, who advocates Simmons as the No. 1 pick, says the Sixers are excited about the prospect of having an elite passer at power forward because it creates more options in the pick-and-roll. Cavaliers star LeBron James has become a mentor to Simmons, and he sees great things ahead for the LSU freshman. “I think we all don’t know just yet how great of a kid he is and how down to earth he is with the game of basketball and life in general,” James said.
- This week presents the first opportunity for new team president Bryan Colangelo to put his stamp on the franchise, Pompey writes in another story. With the draft on Thursday and free agency a week and a half away, Colangelo will have opportunities to make the type of bold moves he became famous for with the Raptors and Suns.
- Six players are scheduled to attend a workout Monday in Philadelphia, tweets Derek Bodner of PhillyMag.com. The Sixers will welcome Villanova point guard Ryan Arcidiacono, Kansas power forward Perry Ellis, Old Dominion point guard Trey Freeman, former Buffalo power forward Justin Moss, New Mexico State power forward Pascal Siakam and Stony Brook power forward Jameel Warney.
Eastern Notes: Morris, Simmons, Hornets
ESPN draft guru Chad Ford believes the Wizards made the right move in dealing away the No. 13 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft for mercurial forward Markieff Morris. Speaking on ESPN 980’s “Inside the Locker Room” with Brian Mitchell and Scott Jackson, Ford said, “You look at [everything] and probably say the Wizards made the right call here in that they got more value [with Morris] than they would have gotten with the 13th pick.” Ford noted that after the presumptive top two of Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram the quality of players drops off significantly in the second-tier, adding, “I think all of those guys are solid players. They’ll probably be starters in the league and make a positive contribution. … Typically, you’re still drafting high-level starters in the 5-7 range. Instead I think you’re probably drafting average starters.”
“After that, I think you’re looking at role players throughout the rest of the draft,” Ford continued. “That means I think the value in this is draft is a little low. At nine, if you’re drafting a role player, that’s again not great value compared to other drafts.”
Here’s the latest from the Eastern Conference:
- The Sixers met with projected No. 1 overall pick Simmons and agent Rich Paul on Thursday night in Cleveland, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays (Twitter links).
- Former North Carolina point guard Marcus Paige worked out for the Hawks on Thursday and will do the same for the Hornets today, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays (via Twitter).
- Hornets GM Rich Cho, speaking at a press conference today, noted that the team believes it can land an impact player with the No. 22 overall pick, but didn’t rule out making an attempt to move up in the draft, Charlotte relayed in a series of tweets. “We feel like it’s a deep draft and we’ll get a good player at pick 22. At the same time we’re looking at our options,” Cho said. “With 8 free agents, I don’t know what’s going to happen. We’re trying to get more depth with our team and get guys that can play in our rotation. At this point in the process, we’ve already done all our work. Scouted tons of games and did all background work and intel. We’ll be ready.“
Atlantic Rumors: Simmons, Sixers, Knicks, Raptors
The fact that Ben Simmons isn’t working out for the Sixers shouldn’t be viewed as a decision that reflects poorly on the franchise or one that will have a huge impact on Philadelphia’s choice at No. 1, writes Derek Bodner of PhillyMag.com. As Bodner points out, it appears that Simmons won’t be working out for any teams, so his decision is likely more about playing it safe and not hurting his stock, rather than trying to manipulate his landing spot.
Bodner also examines Bryan Colangelo‘s recent assertion that the Sixers’ decision regarding the first overall pick “changes every day,” suggesting that the GM’s statement sounded somewhat flippant, and probably shouldn’t be taken literally. For what it’s worth, multiple league sources continue to tell Bodner that Simmons is the “prohibitive favorite” to be Philadelphia’s pick to kick off the draft next Thursday.
Let’s round up a few more items from out of the Atlantic….
- The Knicks don’t have a pick in this year’s draft, but they plan to acquire one, and continue to bring in prospects for pre-draft workouts. According to a pair of reports from Ian Begley of ESPN.com, New York worked out Shawn Long (Louisiana-Lafayette), Cat Barber (N.C. State), and Chris Fowler (Central Michigan) on Wednesday.
- New Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek is eyeing Raptors assistant Andy Greer as a potential addition to his staff in New York, says ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter links). According to Stein, Toronto is making a strong effort to hang onto Greer, who has also drawn interest from the Timberwolves.
- Doug Smith of The Toronto Star doesn’t expect the Raptors to make a trade to clear the cap room necessary to re-sign Bismack Biyombo, and he doesn’t expect the free-agent-to-be to take 50 cents on the dollar to remain in Toronto. In Smith’s view, the Raptors and their fans to accept that they’ll bidding adieu to Biyombo soon.
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com presents five reasons why the Celtics may not be inclined to make a trade push for Kevin Love this summer.
Eastern Draft Notes: Sixers, Celtics, Pistons
LSU forward Ben Simmons may not work out for the Sixers or any other team prior to the draft, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Media Network reports. Philadelphia, which has the top pick, is trying to get Simmons in for a workout, Pompey continues. Simmons is expected to be the Sixers’ choice over Duke forward Brandon Ingram. “It’s not a red flag,” Sixers president of basketball operation Bryan Colangelo told Pompey. “Everybody deals with the draft process differently.” The Sixers did not work out Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid or Jahlil Okafor before selecting them in the last three drafts, Pompey notes.
In other draft developments around the Eastern Conference:
- The Sixers will bring in California small forward Jaylen Brown for a workout on Tuesday afternoon, the team announced via press release. Brown could be a darkhorse candidate for the top pick in the draft. He could also be an option if Philadelphia trades down in the lottery, or if they package their two late first rounders to acquire another lottery selection. He’s ranked No. 8 on ESPN Insider Chad Ford’s Big Board and No. 5 by Draft Express’ Jonathan Givony. The Sixers will bring in six second-round hopefuls earlier in the day, including Iowa State forward Georges Niang, Iowa forward Jarrod Uthoff, UC Santa Barbara guard Michael Bryson, Iona guard A.J. English, Mississippi forward Tomasz Gielo and Dayton swingman Dyshawn Pierre.
- The Celtics worked out two projected lottery picks on Monday, Oklahoma shooting guard Buddy Hield and Washington power forward Marquese Chriss, ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman tweets. The workouts were held in California, Goodman adds. Ford slots Hield at No. 7 and Chriss at No. 6 on his Big Board, while Hield is rated No. 7 and Chriss is ranked No. 11 by Givony. The Celtics have three first-rounders, including the No. 3 pick.
- The Pistons worked out six players on Monday, the most prominent being Notre Dame point guard Demetrius Jackson, according to Rod Beard of the Detroit News (Twitter links). The Pistons, who hold the No. 18 pick, need a backup point gaurd and Jackson is ranked No. 26 by Ford and No. 16 by Givony. Washington point guard Andrew Andrews and a quartet of big men — Greece native Georgios Papagiannis, Clemson’s Landry Nnoko, Purdue’s A.J. Hammons and Maryland’s Diamond Stone — also participated in the workout, Beard adds.
- Marquette power forward Henry Ellenson will meet with the Bucks on Tuesday, Gery Woelfel of Woelfelspressbox.com reports. The Bucks have the No. 10 pick and the 7’0” Ellenson is rated No. 11 by Ford and No. 13 by Givony.