No, but the market dictates the value. If he’s realistically willing to sit out, then, yeah you kinda have to trade him for *anything*.
The issue is *anything* is getting less and less by the day and the 76ers (and possibly you?) don’t see seem to understand that. The longer Ben is with them, the LESS they get.
My guess is that they thought some trades would be on the table “no matter what.” But those trades are no longer (or never were) available.
Your definition of “anything” is “crumbles” because they, as an organization, royally screwed the pooch and now are in disaster mode.
Also, the 76ers don’t even want him and are acting like they do. (Go read the reports — they both hate each other.) This tanks value further.
To answer your final question, if Dame was on the trading block for *3 months* and Simmons was our best offer, wasn’t going to play OR show up, then yeah I’d trade him. Especially if it was reported around the league that virtually everyone has made an offer and Morey has essentially countered with fantasy land trades AND we didn’t want Dame back for some reason (would make the scenario more apples to apples). Once again, no one said take the very first offer and run. It’s been months. Everyone knew what was coming in June.