The possibility of the Philadelphia 76ers trading Ben Simmons has loomed over the NBA landscape for months. The Sixers' disgruntled star has been off the court all season. There isn't a huge rush for Philadelphia to trade him, as he is still under contract with them for years. But with the trade deadline approaching, their phones will surely be ringing with calls about Simmons.

Simmons' ability to get reacclimated to full-speed basketball is a huge factor to consider. While he has never had any serious conditioning problems, being away from the game for so long will surely cause rival NBA teams to question when he'll be ready. According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, there is an answer:

Accurate or not, this years-long pattern of Simmons struggling with confidence issues on the floor is seen by some interested teams as a separate matter from the mental-health struggles that he has cited as his reason for staying off it. In terms of Simmons’ eventual availability with a new team, the message has been sent that he would be ready to play after a few weeks of intensified conditioning and court action.

Simmons' supreme athletic abilities made him one of the league's most dynamic players. Few NBA players of his size could run the floor with so much agility, let alone lead an offense like him. Still, he will need some time to get back into playing shape. Once he does, the team that trades for him will add one of the game's best defenders and playmakers.

As Philadelphia looks to package Tobias Harris with Simmons, NBA teams will have to consider the conditioning Simmons needs in order to get back into the court if they choose to pursue him.