After being tagged in the series of James Harden trade rumors, Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons is finally safe, expressing his relief in just two words.
Derek Bodner of The Athletic reported that Simmons expressed how happy and content he is to remain with the Sixers after their huge win over the Miami Heat on Thursday.
Simmons was then asked if he was happy in Philly. "Of course."
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) January 15, 2021
After Harden's request to be traded out of the Houston Rockets, Simmons' name was among those thrown around. After all, the Sixers were named as one of Harden's preferred destinations.
The Rockets front office made it clear they will only entertain the trade if Simmons or Joel Embiid are involved. This placed the Sixers in a dilemma since coach Doc Rivers, who's just in his first year with the team, has some grand plans set for the All-Star dynamic duo.
This was the first time that Simmons was involved in high-profile trade talks, a reality in the NBA that he has taken absolutely well. It certainly helped that Rivers made him understand that it's just the way it is the NBA (via Ky Carlin of Yahoo Sports).
“As far as your name being mentioned in trades, I just know when I was a bad player, I was never mentioned in trades and when I was a really good player I was mentioned in trades. Unfortunately, that’s part of the business. I would look at it the other way and that’s how I looked at it.”
The worst is finally over for Ben Simmons, who's averaging 12.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists this season. He can finally focus on helping the Sixers get over the hump and claim the elusive Larry O'Brien trophy.
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