NBA Rumors: Ben Simmons Prefers To Join 'California Teams' Over Raptors & Blazers

In a recent appearance on 95.7 The Game, Jason Dumas of Kron 4 News talked about the rumors surrounding Simmons and his future with the Sixers. If he would be given the opportunity to choose his next destination, Dumas revealed that Simmons would prefer to play for the "California teams" over the Toronto Raptors and the Trail Blazers.

“He’s [Simmons] reading the tea leaves like everyone else," Dumas said, as quoted by SB Nation's Blazer's Edge. "He sees Toronto. He sees Portland. Just to be frank, the young socialite he is, he’s not really trying to go to any of those situations. He’s open to the California teams, is what I’ve been told.”

There are four NBA teams situated in California. These include the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, and the Golden State Warriors. Of all those teams, the Warriors are the California-based NBA squad that has a real interest in trading for Simmons.

After their first trade negotiation failed to materialize, a previous Inquisitr article revealed that the Warriors and the Sixers have "re-engaged" in another discussion centered on Simmons. Compared to the Kings, Clippers, and the Lakers, the Warriors currently possess enough trade assets that can convince the Sixers to make a deal.

One of the major reasons why Simmons doesn't want to be traded to the Trail Blazers is because he reportedly viewed them as "bad situations." The Trail Blazers may currently have the explosive backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum but in the years that they spent together, they have never won an NBA championship title or at least reached the NBA Finals.

Aside from being stuck in mediocrity, Simmons must also be aware of the fact that the Trail Blazers would need to part ways with Lillard or McCollum to acquire him from the Sixers.

Meanwhile, the Raptors are currently in the same situation as the Trail Blazers. Unless another Kawhi Leonard comes to Toronto, the Raptors won't be contending for the NBA championship title anytime soon, especially knowing that Kyle Lowry is also highly expected to leave in the 2021 free agency.

Also, the Raptors don't seem to be willing to pay the king's ransom to persuade the Sixers to send Simmons to the North. In late July, Matt Moore of Action Network revealed that the Raptors rejected a proposed trade that would send Lowry, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft to the Sixers in exchange for Simmons.