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Elton Brand Is Not Looking To Trade Either Joel Embiid Or Ben Simmons

Following an upsetting loss against the Boston Celtics in the first-round, the Philadelphia 76ers are looking to embrace major changes come off-season. However, none of those involve parting ways with their two All-Stars, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons whose fit has been questioned ever since.

During a virtual press conference, Sixers general manager Elton Brand has made it known that the team will stick building around Embiid and Simmons and will rather find complimentary pieces to make them work going forward.

Per NBA.com:

“I’m not looking to trade Ben or Joel. I’m looking to complement them better.”

Simmons and Embiid have proven that they can produce a significant wins together. The duo quickly turned the tables around for the Sixers, who were lauded as one of the worst teams in the NBA, but it’s unknown whether they could turn it up even more and produce a championship team in Philadelphia.

With that said, Brand remains committed to his two young studs, determined that he could find ways to bring the best out of these two players.

“They are 24 and 26 years old, respectively. You try to make that fit as long as you can. They want to be here, they want to be with our organization, and I see them here for a long, long time.”

“I’m going to talk with Joel and Ben, about the game and how they see it, where they felt we were weak and strong in our play. Simply, candid conversations.”

The Sixers had a rough year, finishing only as the sixth seed in the regular season after locking up the third seed two years in a row. Without Simmons in the playoffs, they saw their season come to an end in the hands of the Celtics who sent them home in just four games.