U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai stands with other members of the delegation during a family photo after the first day of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) meeting at the Hazelwood Green Mill 19 building, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021, in Pittsburgh. | (Rebecca Droke/AP Photo)
PITTSBURGH — U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in an interview on Thursday that the Biden administration plans to “build on” existing tariffs on billions of dollars in Chinese imports and confront Beijing for failing to fulfill its obligations under a Trump-brokered trade agreement.
Her remarks come as the Biden administration enters a critical period in its fraught economic relationship with Beijing. President Joe Biden must soon chart a new course on trade with China as business groups in the U.S. push for tariff relief and that Phase One deal is set to expire.
“I think it’s going to be important to review China's performance with China, and that's going to be the critical first step in my mind,” Tai said of the two-year deal.
Tai’s office later announced that she will deliver a speech Monday on the administration’s approach to trade with China at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
Her office has been conducting a “top-to-bottom” review of U.S. trade policy toward China since her confirmation in March. She said during the interview that the review would be completed “very soon” but would not specify when.
The administration has spent its first eight months rallying key trading partners — including the European Union, Australia and Japan — to join together to confront Beijing’s economic behavior.
Tai was here in Pittsburgh this week seeking to unite with EU officials on tackling pressing trade and technology issues, including market-distorting behaviors that the U.S. has long accused Beijing of perpetuating, such as forced technology transfer and industrial subsidies.
“The relationship with the EU is extremely important in that respect, and I do think that there is every reason for us, because of our shared interests, to build on the relationship between us,” Tai said. “For itself, because it is inherently valuable, but also to build on that relationship on a collaborative basis for taking on the challenges that we are both experiencing.”
The Phase One trade deal signed by former President Donald Trump will expire at the end of the year, and data show that China is falling short on its commitment to purchase an additional $200 billion in U.S. goods. The Biden administration will need to decide how to address the shortfall with Beijing, and whether to negotiate a follow-on agreement.
Tai would not comment on whether there were imminent plans for a meeting with her Chinese counterpart, Vice Premier Liu He. The pair are supposed to meet every six months under the terms of the Phase One deal, but nothing has been scheduled since Tai was confirmed in March.
The Biden administration has so far also resisted pressure from American companies to lift tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese goods. The Trump administration imposed those duties and then subsequently excluded certain goods, but those exclusions expired at the end of last year and Biden has not moved to renew most of them.
Those Section 301 tariffs, which Trump imposed based on a rarely used 1974 trade law, have “had the effect of getting a lot of people's attention,” Tai said. That includes U.S. companies, their workers, trading partners and, obviously, China, she said.
“In that sense, I would say that the 301 tariffs are a tool for creating the kind of effective policies, and [are] something for us to build on and to use in terms of defending to the hilt the interests of the American economy, the American worker and American businesses and our farmers, too,” she said.
She also challenged the notion that tariffs are ultimately paid by American consumers, saying it’s a more complicated calculation than many suggest.
“The interests of our economy and the way our stakeholders are arrayed in our economy is very complex, and you have to bring an appreciation for that complexity to something as important as navigating the U.S.-China trade and economic relationship,” she said.
Past U.S. trade representatives have had to grapple with the China challenge, and now she must find new approaches where they have come up short. She said she remains open to new ways of exerting pressure on China to reform its practices.
“There are a lot of lessons that we can take,” she said. “I think we've always had our intentions in the right place in terms of engagement on the one hand, enforcement on the other hand. But over time, we have to gauge how effective we have been.”
Ultimately, the path forward will be most effective if the U.S. brings other democratic allies along. She said the Biden administration has focused on “mending” the trans-Atlantic relationship, though it came under fresh strain last week after a dispute with France.
The inaugural meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council in Pittsburgh this week was part of strengthening those ties. As one of the council’s five co-chairs, Tai said she “couldn’t be more pleased” with progress the two sides have made toward aligning their policies since the group was announced in June.
“Relationships between governments are both abstract, but they are also about relationships of people who comprise those governments,” Tai said. “We will continue to build, and when challenges crop up, you have to be able to work through them, talk through them. That's what makes the relationship stronger.”
It may be time to protect some technology holdings, one trader says.
Volatility has taken hold of the tech sector in recent weeks as Treasury yields rose, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 index falling nearly 6% in September.
Bond prices, which trade inversely to yields, could be signaling more trouble for tech stocks, Inside Edge Capital Management founder Todd Gordon told CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Thursday.
"If ... interest rates are going to push up, will the Nasdaq break this trend line?" he said, pointing to key uptrend support for the index that has been in place since October 2020.
"If the Nasdaq were to break through this key uptrend support, a likely stopping point could be this old high" around $13,805, where it traded in February and April of this year, Gordon said.
To guard against that possibility, Gordon — who owns several tech stocks and ETFs — set up a put spread on the Nasdaq 100, buying the $14,500 puts expiring on Oct. 11 and Oct. 13 and selling the $14,000 puts. That expects the Nasdaq to see a moderate decline and carries less risk than an individual put or short strategy.
If the Nasdaq 100 falls to $14,000 by expiration, Gordon's trade would make $39,230, he said, adding that the trade's structure makes it easy to exit if it's not working out.
"It's better, I feel, to do that rather than try to exit a lot of your underlying positions," Gordon said.
"It's a nice way to hedge rather than taking off all those positions, paying short-term and long-term capital gains," he said. "Hopefully the market holds the lows and moves up and I can just take that hedge off."
A trader just established a massive hedging position via options to protect a portfolio of stocks in the event that the S&P 500’s losses snowball toward 20% during the fourth quarter.
The trader Thursday morning bought 45,300 put-spread collars -- options cocktails that combine various strike prices in a single strategy -- on the S&P 500 for $94 million. The order involved selling calls with a strike price at 4,505 while buying puts exercising at 4,135 and selling puts at 3,480, which all expire on Dec. 31.
Verona, N.Y. — According to Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol, on Sept. 29 at approximately noon an altercation occurred involving multiple students at the Madison-Oneida BOCES located at 4937 Spring Rd in the Town of Verona. The school resource officer from the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office assigned to Madison-Oneida BOCES responded to this incident.
While the Deputy was investigating this incident he was advised of another altercation involving several more students and a parent. The school resource officer immediately responded to this incident and initiated a separate investigation. It was later alleged after the parties were dispersed, that the involved parent was in possession of a handgun during the altercation.
Upon learning of the allegation the Oneida County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigation Unit responded to investigate the matter further. At this time the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office is still working to determine if there was in fact a handgun on the school campus. There appears to be no imminent threat to any students or school members. The investigation is still ongoing.
The 76ers want Ben Simmons to rejoin the team. Simmons has no interest in ever playing for Philadelphia again. Around and around we go.
But how far is Simmons willing to go in order to get exactly what he wants? During an appearance on ESPN's "The Jump" on Tuesday, Ramona Shelburne reported that, as of right now, Simmons is prepared to sit out the entire 2021-22 season if necessary.
"When you talk to people close to Ben, I say, 'OK, worst-case scenario, it takes all year. Would he sit all year?' And the answer right now is yes," Shelburne said. "Now, you can say that right now at the beginning of training camp. You can say that you're willing to sit all year if that's what it takes to go get traded to a team that you feel more comfortable on.
"But let's see what happens when you really start missing checks, when you really start missing basketball, when the league moves on without you."
Shelburne noted that Simmons is "probably at his all-time lowest value," and the 76ers aren't interested in sending him out for a few draft picks and expiring contracts. In their ideal scenario, they would receive an All-NBA player capable of helping them compete for a championship. Philadelphia isn't interested in rebuilding when it has Joel Embiid entering his prime years.
That's why both Sixers coach Doc Rivers and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey praised Simmons at Philly's media day and expressed hope about him eventually returning to the team. They know a home run trade is unlikely to emerge before the start of the season, so their best strategy is keeping Simmons until someone calls with a more enticing offer.
If Simmons continues his holdout, though, Morey made it clear that he will face significant financial penalties.
"We're not gonna talk about the specifics of fines or things like that, but I will say that it's pretty, very clearly spelled out in the [collective bargaining agreement] and his contract what happens," Morey said.
Buckle up, folks. It doesn't sound like this standoff is ending anytime soon.
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Marlon Mack has become the odd man out in the Indianapolis backfield.
The fifth-year pro ran for 1,091 yards and eight touchdowns in 2019 -- but he's never played a full season, and he missed nearly all of 2020 with an Achilles injury. With Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines -- who just signed a three-year extension with the Colts -- getting the majority of the carries to start the 2021 season, a fully healthy Mack is looking for a fresh start.
He and the team are working on a mutually agreed upon effort to trade him. As a 25-year-old on a one-year contract, Mack could be a great option for any and all RB-needy teams. Suitors have until the Nov. 2 trade deadline to pursue the one-cut runner.
Here are three potential fits as trade partners:
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons' run game is averaging 82.7 yards per game (28th in the NFL) behind the efforts of Mike Davis and Cordarrelle Patterson. While Arthur Smith prefers to run downhill -- like he did with Derrick Henry in Tennessee -- Mack would add a much-needed explosive element to this unit as an outside-zone back. The Falcons must find a way to move the chains and get points on the board after totaling 48 through the first three weeks. Mack will bring speed and talent to a weak position group in Atlanta.
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Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens' backfield has unfortunately taken a front seat on the 2021 injury train, with J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill all going down with season-ending injuries before Week 1. They have since signed veteran castoffs Latavius Murray, Le'Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman, with Murray and Ty'Son Williams, an undrafted free agent who spent most of 2020 on the Ravens' practice squad, getting the bulk of the carries at the position. The Ravens boast the league's best rushing attack at 185.3 rushing yards per game, thanks to electric quarterback Lamar Jackson, but adding a speedster like Mack will only make this unit scarier and tougher to defend. Any edge Baltimore can have in an uber-competitive AFC North is worth pursuing.
San Francisco 49ers
To be honest, I'm a little surprised John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan haven't made a trade for Mack yet. Through three weeks, the 49ers have already marched out a carousel of running backs, with Raheem Mostert, Elijah Mitchell, Trey Sermon, JaMycal Hasty and Kyle Juszczyk all taking snaps in the backfield. Mostert was lost for the season after logging just two carries in Week 1 with a knee injury, Hasty landed on IR with a high-ankle sprain ahead of the Green Bay game and sixth-round rookie Mitchell missed Week 3 with a shoulder injury. Sermon had 10 carries for 31 yards and a TD as the featured back Sunday, but Shanahan's offense, which is averaging 105 rushing yards per game, deserves more production out of the position. Kerryon Johnson was promoted to the active roster prior to Week 3, though he didn't get any carries Sunday night. Still, it feels like a no-brainer to trade a late-round pick and secure Mack, a more proven player, as a one-year rental.
Top 15 running backs
With the 2021 NFL season underway, former All-Pro running back and current NFL Network analyst Maurice Jones-Drew examines all RBs and ranks his top 15. For the first quarter of the season, the Ground Index rankings are based on a combination of:
1) Player accomplishments prior to the 2021 season.
2) Weekly performances, factoring in strength of opponent.
Rankings will be based solely on this season's efforts following Week 4. Now, let's get to it. Entering Week 4, here is MJD's pecking order, with arrows reflecting changes from last week's list:
Henry's 58-yard Week 1 seems like it came ages ago, with the Titans star backing up a 182-yard rushing performance in Week 2 with 113 yards on 28 carries in Sunday's win over the Colts. I feel like I'm going to be saying this a lot this year, but it's Henry's world. We're just living in it.
Chubb wasn't super efficient against the Bears, but he still helped the Browns' second-ranked rushing attack rack up 215 yards on the ground. He has now logged four consecutive games with at least 80 rushing yards, the longest active streak in the NFL.
Though the Packers rank 30th in rushing this season, Jones has been all over the field as a threat in both the run and pass games. He is tied for the league lead in scrimmage touchdowns, bringing his total to 35 since 2019 (second-most in that span).
Kamara posted 100-plus scrimmage yards for the first team this season against the Patriots, thanks to a strong performance on the ground. His 89 rushing yards were more than he had in Weeks 1 and 2 combined.
Zeke found his groove Monday night against the Eagles and looks to keep it going against a Panthers defense that has allowed just 31.3 rushing yards per game heading into Week 4. He has a chance to register at least 70 rushing yards and one rushing TD in his third straight game, something he's done twice in his career.
Cook was out last week with an ankle injury, but it doesn't appear he'll be sidelined long-term. I gotta say, it was reassuring to see the Vikings' depth at the running back position, as Alexander Mattison took the torch with flying colors against Seattle.
Mixon took advantage of a T.J. Watt-less Steelers defense, rushing for 90 yards on 18 carries (5.0 yards per carry) -- a good outing after a mediocre Week 2. He's playing with a lot of confidence heading into a meeting with the Jags' 17th-ranked run defense.
Ekeler is stringing together a good start to the season after he added 107 scrimmage yards, including a 16-yard touchdown reception, in Sunday's win over the Chiefs. Averaging 4.7 rushing yards per carry and adding splash plays in the passing game, Ekeler is the perfect weapon for emerging MVP candidate Justin Herbert.
Carson has provided balance to the Seahawks' offense by being extremely efficient. In fact, he joins Lamar Jackson as the only two players with more than 200 rushing yards on fewer than 45 carries this season.
It was gut-wrenching to see McCaffrey sidelined again after a hamstring injury occurred in the second quarter of last week's victory over Houston. Before he exited, McCaffrey racked up seven carries for 31 yards and two catches for 9 yards. While the Panthers decided to not put him on injured reserve, meaning he won't be required to miss at least three weeks, they don't want to mess with these soft-tissue injuries. Hopefully, he gets back to 100 percent soon.
The second-year back had limited carries (10) against the Titans but made the most of them by averaging 6.4 yards per attempt. With an ailing quarterback and a beat up O-line, Taylor is going to have to channel his scorching second half of last season to help his team out of a winless start.
Hunt wore down the Bears' defense to earn his most scrimmage yards in a game since joining the Browns in 2019. He finished with 10 carries for 81 rushing yards and six receptions for 74 receiving yards with one rushing TD. He, like backfield mate Nick Chubb, is a nightmare behind that O-line in Kevin Stefanski's scheme, and I love it!
Saquon gave the Giants a chance to get their first win with a fourth-quarter touchdown against Atlanta, but a defensive meltdown put those thoughts to rest. It's clear the Giants' star running back is getting more and more comfortable every time he steps out on the field in his return from an ACL tear.
The Bears totaled 47 offensive yards against the Browns, and Montgomery had 34 of them on 10 attempts. It was a poor game plan all around, so I'm not going to fault Montgomery for a lack of carries. That said, I expect more from the Bears back against Detroit.
With a big performance against the Bills, Gibson now has five career games with at least 100 scrimmage yards and one TD. Gibson, who had 11 rushing TDs in his rookie season, really impressed on a 73-yard catch-and-run touchdown, weaving in and out of Bills defenders before punctuating the effort with a dive over the goal line. Now it's about finding consistency.
The Ground Index presented by FedEx ranks NFL running back performances all season long. Check out the weekly FedEx Air NFL Players of the Week and cast your vote after Sunday Night Football.
We are close to the point of no return (if we haven't gotten there already) with Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers.
What first started as the All-Star guard asking for a trade this offseason has now turned to Simmons boycotting training camp.
The fines, which have already been excessive ($7,500 for missed practices at a minimum), and the $227,000 that Simmons will lose for every game he misses, have not persuaded him to show up in person.
Simmons is under contract through 2024-25, and the 76ers have elected to slow play the trade process with two beliefs -- 1) that the marriage is still salvageable, and 2) that there is no trade right now that improves the roster, or at the very least keeps them as an Eastern Conference contender.
"I think there's a lot of hope," 76ers president Daryl Morey said Monday morning during his season-opening news conference alongside coach Doc Rivers. "I would say I watched last night a player [the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers] lead his team to victory when a thousand pounds of digital ink were spilled on how much he would never play for that team again.
"Look, every situation is different, but we have a lot of optimism that we can make it work here."
But what happens if we get to the start of the season and the situation is the same? Or come early December and the 76ers are a .500 team?
Would Philadelphia take the best deal on the table or wait until after Dec. 15, when trade restrictions are lifted on most of the free agents signed this offseason?
To show the challenges the 76ers' front office faces in finding the right trade, we have broken down the 29 teams into five different tiers, starting with the group that has the combination of young prospects, top-caliber players, contracts and draft assets to make a deal.
At a minimum, a team has to send out at least $26.5 million in salary for a Simmons trade to work.
Removing Damian Lillard from any trade talks leaves the Blazers with CJ McCollum as their prized trade asset.
McCollum, who is coming off six straight seasons of scoring at least 20 points per game, is under contract through the 2023-24 season.
Lillard has asked for upgrades to the roster, but is Simmons the right player? And especially at the cost of Lillard's longtime backcourt partner?
The Trail Blazers traded a lottery-protected first to Chicago in the Larry Nance Jr. deal and would need to remove the protection in 2022 in order to trade future first-round picks.
Off the table: Damian Lillard ($39.3 million; player option in 2024-25)
Cannot be traded:Norman Powell (Jan. 15 signing restriction), Cody Zeller (Dec. 15 signing restriction), Ben McLemore (Dec. 15 signing restriction) and Tony Snell (Dec. 15 signing restriction)
First-round assets and trade exceptions
Note: The Trail Blazers are sending Chicago a top-14-protected first-round pick from 2022 to 2028. Because the pick has seven years of protection, the Blazers are not allowed to trade a first-round pick unless the protection is lifted.
Tradable contracts (2021-22 season)
CJ McCollum: $30.8 million; unrestricted free agent in 2024
Robert Covington: $13.0 million; unrestricted free agent in 2022
Jusuf Nurkic: $12.0 million; unrestricted free agent in 2022
Larry Nance Jr.: $10.7 million; unrestricted free agent in 2023
Anfernee Simons: $3.9 million; restricted free agent in 2022
Nassir Little: $2.3 million; restricted free agent in 2023
CJ Elleby: $1.5 million; restricted free agent in 2022
Greg Brown III: $925K; restricted free agent in 2023 (non-guaranteed in 2023-24)
If that question was posed in 2017, the answer would have been a resounding yes -- because of the play (and health) of Love.
Now, Love is anything but the All-Star he once was and the $60 million left on his contract is seen as dead weight.
Sexton is one of the top players under the age of 25 and is coming off a career season in which he averaged 24.3 points per game. But he is a restricted free agent (if there is no extension reached by Oct. 18), and Philadelphia would need to have a comfort level in committing to a lucrative contract.
Another hurdle: Would Cleveland give up lightly lottery-protected first-round picks in a deep Eastern Conference?
Simmons is certainly an upgrade to the Cavs' roster, but does he push this team from the lottery to one competing for a spot in the play-in tournament?
Kevin Love: $31.3 million; unrestricted free agent in 2023
Ricky Rubio: $17.8 million; unrestricted free agent in 2022
Cedi Osman: $8.1 million; unrestricted free agent in 2024 (non-guaranteed in 2023-24)
Evan Mobley: $8.1 million; restricted free agent in 2025
Darius Garland: $7.0 million; restricted free agent in 2023
Collin Sexton: $6.3 million; restricted free agent in 2022
Isaac Okoro: $6.7 million; restricted free agent in 2024
Dylan Windler: $2.3 million: restricted free agent in 2023
Dean Wade: $1.8 million; unrestricted free agent in 2023 (non-guaranteed in 2021-22 and team option for 2022-23)
Mfiondu Kabengele: 1.7 million; unrestricted free agent in 2023 (non-guaranteed in 2021-22 and 2022-23)
Lamar Stevens: $1.5 million; team option in 2022-23 (non-guaranteed in 2021-22 and 2022-23)
It's hard to see Indiana making a blockbuster trade for Simmons, considering the early part of the season is an evaluation period for new head coach Rick Carlisle.
But the Pacers have six players earning between $10 million and $22 million, including All-Star Domantas Sabonis and starting point guard Malcolm Brogdon.
Cannot be traded:T.J. McConnell (Jan. 15 signing restriction) and Torrey Craig (Dec. 15 signing restriction)
First-round assets and trade exceptions
Indiana has all its first-round picks
Trade exceptions: $7.3, $4.8, $4.0 and $2.9 million
Tradable contracts (2021-22 season)
Malcolm Brogdon: $21.7 million; unrestricted free agent in 2023
Domantas Sabonis: $19.8 million; unrestricted free agent in 2024
Myles Turner: $18 million; unrestricted free agent in 2023
Caris LeVert: $17.5 million; unrestricted free agent in 2023
T.J. Warren: $12.9 million; unrestricted free agent in 2022
Jeremy Lamb: $10.5 million; unrestricted free agent in 2022
Justin Holiday: $6.0 million; unrestricted free agent in 2023
Chris Duarte: $3.7 million; restricted free agent in 2025
Goga Bitadze: $3.1 million; restricted free agent in 2023
Isaiah Jackson: $2.4 million; restricted free agent in 2025
Edmond Sumner: $2.3 million; unrestricted free agent in 2022
Kelan Martin: $1.7 million; restricted free agent in 2022 (non-guaranteed in 2021-22)
Oshae Brissett: $1.7 million; team option in 2022-23 (non-guaranteed in 2021-22)
It's unclear if the Timberwolves have the players to get a Simmons trade done, unless they recruit a third team or if a team believes D'Angelo Russell can still be an impact player.
Because the roster is loaded with rotational players, any Simmons trade would require Minnesota to move multiple first-round picks.
That is a big risk for a team that has one playoff appearance since 2003-04.
Off the table:Karl-Anthony Towns ($31.7 million; unrestricted free agent in 2024) and Anthony Edwards ($10.2 million; restricted free agent in 2024)
Devin Vassell: $4.2 million; restricted free agent in 2024
Josh Primo: $3.9 million; restricted free agent in 2025
Luka Samanic: $3.0 million; restricted free agent in 2023
Keldon Johnson: $2.1 million; restricted free agent in 2023
Drew Eubanks: $1.8 million; unrestricted free agent in 2023 (non-guaranteed in 2022-23)
Tre Jones: $1.5 million; restricted free agent in 2023 (non-guaranteed in 2022-23)
Former All-Star Pascal Siakam would be the top trade target out of this top tier, but does a frontcourt of Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and Siakam -- who shot 29.7% from 3 last season -- address the Sixers' spacing concerns? If not, Philadelphia would need to include a third team.
The Raptors have Goran Dragic's expiring contract but would need to include a player such as OG Anunoby and draft compensation for the 76ers to consider a trade.
Cannot be traded:Gary Trent Jr. (Jan.15 signing restriction), Khem Birch (Dec. 15 signing restriction), Sam Dekker (Dec. 15 signing restriction), Svi Mykhailiuk (Dec. 15 signing restriction), Isaac Bonga (Dec. 15 signing restriction) and Ishmail Wainright (Dec. 15 signing restriction)
First-round assets and trade exceptions
Tradable contracts (2021-22 season)
Pascal Siakam: $33.0 million; unrestricted free agent in 2024
Fred VanVleet: $19.7 million; player option in 2023-24
Goran Dragic: $19.4 million; unrestricted free agent in 2022
OG Anunoby: $16.1 million; player option in 2024-25
Scottie Barnes: $7.3 million; restricted free agent in 2025
Chris Boucher: $7.2 million; unrestricted free agent in 2022
Malachi Flynn: $2.0 million; restricted free agent in 2024
Yuta Watanabe: $1.5 million; restricted free agent in 2022 ($375K guaranteed in 2021-22)
Freddie Gillespie: $1.5 million; restricted free agent in 2022 ($50K guaranteed in 2021-22)
Dalano Banton: $925K; restricted free agent in 2023 (non-guaranteed in 2022-23)
Tier 2: The trade assets are there. But how's the fit?
These four teams might have much of what Philadelphia would be seeking in exchange for Simmons. But there's a problem: The 25-year-old, three-time All-Star might create fit issues with each of them.
Adding Simmons would benefit Trae Young on both sides of the ball, but is there an appetite to take back the $147 million owed to Simmons?
Warriors owner Joe Lacob has already gone on the record, saying that Simmons is not a fit for the team's current roster.
"In some ways, it doesn't really fit what we're doing," Lacob told the San Francisco Chronicle. "He makes a lot of money. And, can he finish games? I don't know. He's very talented. The problem is: We have Draymond. Draymond and him are very similar in the sense that neither one really shoots and they do a lot of the playmaking. That's one issue. The salary structure is another."
The Celtics, for their part, are likely not trading Jaylen Brown for Simmons and cannot move Marcus Smart because of extension restrictions in his contract that don't get lifted until Jan. 25.
Plus, would the 76ers really trade their second-best player to a conference rival?
And even though the Pelicans have the draft capital, their lone trade asset is Brandon Ingram. (They are not trading Zion Williamson).
If Ingram is not available, New Orleans would be short of contracts to make the numbers work.
Josh Hart can't be traded until Jan. 15, and recent signings Devonte' Graham and Garrett Temple can't be moved until Dec. 15.
Tier 3: Available: young players, draft assets, veterans. Unavailable: an impact player
Luka Doncic and Simmons would be an intriguing duo, but unless you consider Kristaps Porzingis as a valuable trade asset, the Mavericks have little on their roster that would entice the 76ers.
The Rockets check the box with draft assets, but the $92 million owed to former All-Star John Wall should come with a warning sticker.
The Grizzlies are in Tier 3 because they have some intriguing players in Dillon Brooks, Kyle Anderson and De'Anthony Melton, and they own all their own first-round picks, along with future firsts from Utah and Golden State. But we are removing Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. from any Simmons trade proposal.
Would those three players and draft picks be enough for Philadelphia? And would Memphis ownership be comfortable committing $147 million to Simmons, with Jackson eligible for an extension now and Morant next offseason?
Tier 4: Just not enough to get in the conversation
The group of nine have either depleted their pool of draft assets or have All-Stars that fit better than Simmons. In other words: no chance.
For example, the Clippers are not trading Paul George for Simmons, nor do they have the right combination of draft picks and players to send to Philadelphia.
