It remains to be seen whether Ben Simmons will find a new home by the trade deadline or stay with the Philadelphia 76ers. If it's the latter that ends up happening and he wanted to play so as not to waste the season further, Joel Embiid has one condition.

The Sixers big man is open to Simmons' return to the Sixers. However, he wants to make sure that the Australian playmaker really wants to be there and help the team win no matter what.

“Anybody is welcome to play. If you want to be part of us, I’m sure everybody will be fine with it, but you have to show up and want to be there,” Embiid said on Simmons' situation, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

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Philadelphia has proven they can win without Ben Simmons, as they currently remain fifth in the East with a 32-22 record. Tyrese Maxey has filled the role of starting point guard really well, while the rest of the team continues to step up defensively and make everyone forget they are missing an elite defender in Simmons.

That is also the reason why Joel Embiid is confident with what the current Sixers roster can achieve even in the absence of the All-Star point-forward.

Of course it will be a massive boost for Philly to have a player of Simmons' caliber helping them in the playoffs. However, as Embiid emphasized, they need him to be motivated and have that desire to lead the team to victory.