The Athletic’s Warriors writer Anthony Slater reported today that the Warriors-Simmons connection may not be as viable as many thought. Slater stated in his report that "There isn’t — and has never been — a realistic offer on the table for Golden State to discuss” (via The Athletic). There is a myriad of reasons why this won’t materialize, as many have speculated, due to a split on both sides. The biggest questions are mainly surrounding Simmons’ value, the Warriors’ needs, Philly GM (and long-time Warriors dissident) Daryl Morey, and potential pieces in Kuminga and Wiseman.

The first reason Slater lists is that the urgency for a Ben Simmons trade is not there. Lacob and company seem to believe that they’re in a position to contend with the moves they’ve made this offseason to pair with Klay Thompson’s long-awaited return, and while all that still contains its own set of questions, most analysts —as well as several sportsbooks — believe the Dubs are a top-4 team as of this very moment. Ben Simmons would add to the arsenal – or maybe not – but he would not be the make-or-break piece to win the title.

The second reason is semi-related to Simmons’ contract – he still has 3 years remaining on his deal – and Morey doesn’t seem to feel the heat about it. Simmons and his camp have been adding a lot of pressure to his trade demands by threatening to stay out of training camp, but ultimately, he will fold: His value just isn’t high enough to where he can get away with not playing this season, and Morey highballing interested suitors likely won’t stop until someone bites on it.

The third reason is the Warriors brass believing in their young guys, specifically naming Jonathan Kuminga and James Wiseman, to be the future of the franchise. Joe Lacob has gone on-record saying that he believes both are capable players with plenty of potential to be the next Steph and Klay (star power-wise) by the time their second contracts are signed. It’s also a widely-held belief that Steph, fresh off one of his best seasons ever at age 32, still has a lot of gas left in the tank, expanding the Warriors’ title window. The Dubs are a winning franchise as long as Steph is in the blue and gold, and in an era where superstars are becoming more prone to longevity (see: Tom Brady and LeBron James), it’s not outlandish to believe he will continue his reign of terror on NBA defenses for several more years.

Detractors of Simmons (myself included) are skeptical about his fit with the team, and that while he can bring a lot, it would take some compromises which young stars who know how good they are (or know how good they think they are) don’t generally make. Simmons would take a reduced role, likely a mid-post passing threat and half of a monstrous defensive tandem with Draymond Green akin to what Andrew Bogut was, which this series of events with his trade demands has shown he may not be able to adjust to. Regardless of what happens, it would be a longshot to see Ben Simmons in a Warriors uniform any time soon. Not impossible, but a longshot: And whether that’s a mistake from Meyers, Lacob, and the rest of the front office remains to be seen over the next few years.