With the trade deadline just a month away, Ben Simmons' future with the Philadelphia 76ers has been put into the spotlight once again. There hasn't been much progress in terms of trading him, but the Sixers might be the one to blame for that.
According to the latest report by NBA insider Marc Stein, the Sixers are still holding out hope that they would be able to convince Simmons to stay. Sure, they are expected to explore possible trade options for their All-Star, but they are reportedly prioritizing to get him to play for the team again after their chaotic offseason debacle.
Per Stein:
The 76ers will be discussing various Simmons trade scenarios for the next month, but actually trading him before the NBA’s annual trade buzzer is not their preferred scenario. As it stands. Convincing Simmons to rejoin the team and play as much of the remaining schedule as possible, according to one source familiar with Philadelphia’s thinking, is the club’s “goal No. 1” when it comes to the wayward playmaker.
It remains to be seen how the Sixers plan to change Ben Simmons' mind. So far, all indications point toward the Aussie playmaker heading to the exit after Doc Rivers, Joel Embiid and the rest of Philadelphia threw him under the bus.
After an offseason-long holdout, Simmons returned to the team before the 2021-22 campaign started. However, he hasn't suit up for the team due to his mental health concerns. There were also some issues about it, with the 26-year-old initially refusing the help of the team to deal with his problems.
As it currently stands, it is looking more likely the the Sixers trade Simmons. Nonetheless, Daryl Morey and Co. remain firm in their desire to get a massive haul in return for the All-Star defense-first playmaker.
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