Ben Simmons' situation in Philly took a shocking turn on Monday after it was reported that his agent, Rich Paul, is currently in talks with the Sixers about the All-Star point guard possibly reuniting with the squad before the start of the season. Despite the potential turn of events, it looks like the Sixers are still keeping their bases covered.

Philly remains open to having Simmons back for the 2021-22 season. In fact, this is likely why they've stood pat on their ridiculous asking price for the former Rookie of the Year. Nevertheless, they aren't closing their door on a potential trade, which at this point, is a safety measure that makes a lot of sense.

According to NBA insider Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Sixers could now take a wait-and-see approach. That is, they could wait all the way until this season's trade deadline before they decide to pull the trigger on a Ben Simmons trade deal.

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“[Starting the season with Simmons on the roster] might incentivize the Sixers to push this thing all the way until the trade deadline (which, sources tell me and Shams Charania, will be on Feb. 10). Or, as Morey himself alluded to in his media day news conference, he might start believing this could be an Aaron Rodgers type situation again.”

The Aaron Rodgers situation with the Packers is an interesting point of reference here. Much like Simmons, Rodgers too demanded a trade in the offseason. This is the league MVP we're talking about here, but despite his stature, Rodgers never got his wish. He ended up staying in Green Bay, where he continues to serve as the team's cornerstone quarterback to this very day — regardless if he's happy about it or not.

The Sixers could take a similar approach with Simmons wherein they still keep him in Philly even if it's against his will. At the end of the day, he's still an employee of the organization so he will need to report to work (unless he wants to face the stern repercussions of not doing so). If that doesn't work out, then the Sixers have until early February to finally find a trade partner.