The saga is finally over. We can finally move on. The Bearded Assassin has been shipped out of the hometown of Mrs. Carter, to walk the concrete canvas where billionaire Carter got his start rhyming with Jaz-O and Big Daddy Kane. In the famous words of the Notorious B.I.G.:

“Brooklyn, We did it baby!”

Yep, they sure did. And sacrificed their entire future to do so. But from a basketball perspective, the returns are terrifying: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden in the same starting lineup? Who do you send a double team towards? What are you willing to sacrifice defensively against them in the halfcourt? So many more questions like these will be micro-analyzed over the season as it progresses so let’s leave those for another time.

However, Sixers nation, I have to come for y’all one more time. I know its 2021. New year, new vibes, out with the old, etc. but I think it’s necessary seeing that Ben Simmons will remain a Philadelphia 76ers employee. If I remember correctly, many on Twitter and in the comments here thought it was absurd that Ben Simmons would be considered in the trade talks. The storm winds that descended reminded me of the days when being a visiting fan at Veterans Stadium was a sure-fire three-hour masterclass of bullying and intimidation.

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And thrown snowballs if it was cold enough.

I told anyone that had an issue with the article that NBA players are equivalent to stock options. A front office will sell their stock to net the highest return possible. No one is off limits to this reality. Morey had Harden in his sights from the moment he got to Philadelphia. And if the Sixers front office was not split on acquiring Harden, Ben Simmons was leaving Philly.

Morey had him on the table and was willing to pull the trigger.

Sixers nation, be happy that Morey didn’t want to mortgage the Sixers future like Brooklyn did. But let’s be very clear about one thing:

I told y’all that Simmons, as good as he is and as great as he could be, was trade bait because the growing consensus was, Simmons is refusing to expand his game and become more lethal on the offensive end. Morey noticed, and offered him along with Matisse Thybulle and draft compensation.

Be thankful that Morey drew a line in the sand when Houston asked for Tyrese Maxey. The Sixers front office believes the kid is something special. That’s what stopped Simmons’ departure.

Its okay. I don’t need any apologies.

It is a relief that Morey didn’t pull the trigger on that deal because Brooklyn now has to hope that one championship comes out of this. Other than that, they have no options but to blow up their big three should they roll snake eyes on the NBA crap table. And with the helter skelter mood swings of Kyrie Irving, who knows what will happen.

For now, we can get back to basketball. We can now focus on the season, how this team will gel, whether they have enough to get out of the East, and who can they add to beef up the roster. Joel Embiid has taken another step, making him the best big man in the NBA, no questions asked.

Ben is not out of the woods yet, however. A growing rumor is circulating around NBA circles that leading scorer Bradley Beal could be targeted by the Sixers. Could he get shipped to Washington? Who knows?

Sixers nation remember what I said: players are stock options. Ben’s stock is very high right now. What’s the rule when selling stock for my financially literate?

Sell at the highest point for maximum return.

Don’t say that you haven’t been warned.