NBA Rumors: Suns, Sixers At Odds Over Potential 3-Team Blockbuster
Suns “want the Sixers to facilitate” a 3-team deal that sends Tobias Harris to Phoenix, Deandre Ayton to the third team, and assets to Philly, per @PompeyOnSixers pic.twitter.com/eHn2wBIVUg
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 25, 2023
The key part of this proposed 3-team blockbuster is that the Suns "want the Sixers to facilitate it", but Philly is not interested in doing so. According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Sixers have made it clear that they won't trade Harris without a return that "drastically improves" their squad.
He'll make $39.2M in the final year of his contract in the 2023-24 season, so it would take quite a haul of contracts to make a deal work, in any case.
As for a deal with the Suns, the Sixers aren't interested in any of the 'assets' they have to offer. Clearly, they don't need Ayton with Embiid around, and most of their other good pieces were shipped out in the Kevin Durant trade. Hence, the need for a third team.
A source tells Pompey that the Suns would like to acquire Harris before June 30th, after which time there'd be ramifications from the so-called 'second apron' of the luxury tax.
So as Philadelphia president of basketball operations Daryl Morey continues to ask for "outrageous" packages in any Harris deal, it looks more and more like the 31-year-old will be back alongside Embiid for another season.
And as for Ayton, he's still a Phoenix Sun, despite his, and apparently his team's, wishes. But that doesn't mean the Suns will stop trying.
Post a Comment