NBA Rumors: Ben Simmons Snubs D'Angelo Russell Offer; LSU Star Seals Deal With LeBron James, Kyrie Irving

By Mitch de Leon
Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons in the 2015 McDonald's All-American Boys Game. TonyTheTiger/Wikimedia Commons

The NBA Draft is getting closer, and the basketball community is abuzz with speculations on who and which team will win big this year. With the NBA season in full swing, some fans are eyeing the potential entry of Ben Simmons into the Los Angeles Lakers roster. Aside from the recent performance of the Kobe Bryant squad, the LSU star is eagerly awaited by buddy D'Angelo Russell. In fact, the two young basketball stars have been known to be close friends since their early years on the hardwood court.

"We're real close friends," shared Russell of his relationship with Simmons, according to Lakers Nation. The rookie added, "[When we talk] it's obvious: 'Oh, man, I hope you come here.' It's obvious. But we talk about a lot of other things."

Despite the seemingly assured way Russell discusses Simmons' potential entry to the Los Angeles Lakers locker room, sources are now claiming that the Jordan Clarkson squad might not have sealed the deal just yet. In fact, rumors are now circulating that Simmons might be targeting the Cleveland Cavaliers instead - a move that could allow him to play side by side the great LeBron James.

The rumors started when Simmons reportedly signed for Klutch Sports. According to The Vertical, the Australian star is a shoo in the talent roster of the agency which is headed by the Cleveland Cavaliers star. The report also disclosed that Simmons will get the same manager, Rich Paul, who handles the affairs of King James.

"LSU freshman star Ben Simmons, a possible No. 1 overall NBA draft pick, plans to sign with the LeBron James-funded Klutch Sports agency for his pro representation," shared Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Citing league sources, the insider added, "Rich Paul of Klutch Sports will serve as Simmons' agent."

Some of the cornerstones placed to secure Simmons is Klutch Sports' move to hire Emily Bush, the sister of the NBA draft target, in 2014. This decision came after the news of the Aussie's availability surfaced and James started to seriously pursue him.

League sources also revealed to The Vertical that "the arrangement for Klutch to represent Simmons has been in place for over a year, and agency papers to formalize the partnership are expected to be signed soon." They added that the LSU star will "train in either Cleveland or Los Angeles in the predraft process."

Before this news, Simmons has been quite vocal of his admiration for James. The young NBA hopeful is also open to his relationship with the Cleveland Cavaliers star and even goes on to say that King James serves as a "big brother" to him. He said, "I just get a lot of advice from him. He's like a big brother to me."

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