Super agent Rich Paul has come to the defense of his embattled client, Ben Simmons, who is currently still in the middle of a standoff with the Philadelphia 76ers. Paul did not hold back as he put the Sixers on blast for their unfair treatment of Simmons.

Paul called out the Sixers for their actions which, according to him, have now had an adverse effect on Simmons' mental health:

“I truly believe the fines, the targeting, the negative publicity shined on the issue — that’s very unnecessary and has furthered the mental health issues for Ben,” Paul said, via Shams Charania of The Athletic. “Either you help Ben, or come out and say he’s lying. Which one is it?”

Paul, who currently stands as the CEO of Klutch Sports, did not stop there. According to the renowned sports agent, the Sixers must now look beyond the financial ramifications of this standoff and prioritize the wellbeing of Simmons:

“In this case, we have to get Ben help and not put finances above mental health,” Paul said. “As an agent, I understand contractual obligations and I hold myself accountable in this business. But if someone is telling you something, we can no longer turn a blind eye in today’s world.

“This is no longer about a trade. This is about finding a place where we can help Ben get back to his mental strength and get back on the floor. I want him on the floor playing the game that he loves. I want Ben on the floor whether that’s in a 76ers uniform or any other uniform, that’s not up to me, but I want him in a state where he can resume play. We want to cooperate and want to work him back on the floor.”

Ben Simmons has yet to make his season debut for the Sixers amid a long-standing saga with the franchise. The former Rookie of the Year demanded a trade and did everything in his power to make sure this would happen — including boycotting the team's preseason training camp. This led to the Sixers firing back with a hefty fine and suspensions.

For their part, the Sixers also tried to find a way to move Simmons out of Philly. However, reports suggest that the price tag they had on the All-Star point guard was ridiculously overpriced, which led to opposing teams losing interest in a potential trade.

In a shock move, Simmons eventually re-joined the team at the start of the season. However, he clearly looked like he was being held hostage against his will, and it was at this point when it was revealed that all this drama had already affected Ben's mental health.

For his part, Rich Paul wants to focus on this very aspect of this dire situation. It is clear that in his mind, the most important thing right now is for the Sixers to help Simmons get back on track — starting with his mental health:

“He’s not there yet,” Paul said on Simmons' readiness to play. “How can a doctor, who has only met with Ben once, say, ‘Ben is mentally ready to play?’ So do we keep digging on him, or help him?. Now that we understand that reluctance from Ben, it all makes sense. There was a shying away from it. If Ben has repeatedly showed behavior that entails he isn’t mentally ready to play, embrace him. Support him. We have to remove our ego from it. We all have to take responsibility.

“I don’t think the 76ers are a bad organization. Josh Harris and David Blitzer are great governors, they’ve done a great job with the organization. I have respect for Daryl Morey. Ben has a mental issue, let’s support him. I’m happy he got to a place where he realized and accepted help. I understand it’s a business, but even in business, you need humanity.

“I have a great level of respect and love for the city of Philadelphia, as someone who loves the game, but this isn’t about that. This is about Ben getting back to a place mentally where he can be back on the floor — and only Ben can tell us when that is. We have to allow him to do that.”

According to reports, Simmons met with the team's doctor on Monday to assess his mental condition. The meeting with the mental health specialist reportedly lasted for just one hour with more sessions expected to take place in the coming days/weeks.

This situation is clearly getting out of hand now, with the Sixers now being put on blast for basically mistreating a player who has a mental condition. Needless to say, this puts the organization in a terrible light and it will be interesting to see how they will respond to this latest tirade from Simmons' camp.