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The Philadelphia 76ers and All-Star Ben Simmons are making the situation in Philly more awkward as each day passes. Simmons, who had a horrible playoff finish, is on the trade market, but it seems like the 76ers have yet to find a fair package in return. It doesn’t help that Simmons has been ignoring fellow all-star Joel Embiid’s phone calls and has been really passive with the 76ers management since their playoff exit.
76ers NBA Free Agency
"Ben Simmons is not answering the phone calls, he don’t want to be with the 76ers, and from what I heard, he’s willing not to report to training camp, and will go as long as it takes for him to get out of Philly."
– Kendrick Perkins
(Via ESPN | h/t @FortyEightMins) pic.twitter.com/R3Lsu9O2Q0— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 10, 2021
This is not a great sign for the Sixers, who will probably have one of if not the most awkward locker rooms this season if the team does not trade Simmons. This could end up being their biggest mistake, especially if it means wasting one more year of Embiid’s prime.
The Sixers have remained in contact with a couple of teams around the league in regards to trading Simmons. But not one has given them enough in return for Philly to bite. According to reports, the Sixers wanted Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman and four first-round picks from Golden State but the latter declined. This just goes to show that Simmons’ current stock is on an all time low, putting Sixers President Daryl Morey in a really tough spot.
Disappointing news: Ben Simmons is still shooting with the wrong hand. pic.twitter.com/Fuc0PCtGGA
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) August 9, 2021
It also doesn’t help that the Sixers had a chance of acquiring James Harden from the Houston Rockets during last season’s trade deadline. Instead, Philly settled for Simmons—who they believed would eventually come up big for them in the playoffs. Look how that turned out. It’s been years and yet Simmons has shown no improvement in his shooting and attitude.
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That said, it’s really hard to blame the Sixers for wanting more in return for Simmons. This was their guy they drafted in 2016 and while he may have his own flaws, Simmons can still improve as a player and perhaps be an asset for some teams—particularly those that don’t really need shooters.
What the Sixers might want to do
If the Sixers want to start fresh this season then they have to get rid of Simmons before October. The Ringer’s Kevin O’connor reported that the Sixers are looking to pursue a star player. Some targets they can explore are stars like Damian Lillard (who has been linked to the Sixers for quite some time now), Bradley Beal, CJ McCollum or Zach Lavine. These are all possible transactions for the Sixers, and if they really want to get rid of Simmons as soon as possible, they should start inquiring right now.
The Sixers should make a trade ASAP before Simmons controls the situation. As of right now, it seems that Simmons is using the same script Anthony Davis and James Harden did to get out of their corresponding teams. If Morey does not deal with Simmons right away, this could get even more ugly.
What if Simmons does not show up to training camp? What if he does not communicate with the Sixers at all? Philadelphia might just be forced to trade Simmons for a package they do not want — or even less than what they once expected back from the Warriors — which could end up hurting them big time in the end.
