The dissolving relationship between Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers hit another low point this week when the embattled All-Star told teammates wishing to meet with him in Los Angeles not to come, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
A large majority of the roster, including the likes of Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris, was planning to fly to Los Angeles with the intention of talking to Simmons and convincing him to rejoin the team for the start of the season. However, Simmons will not budge on his trade request and did not want his teammates to make the trip for no reason, per Charania.
Earlier this summer, Simmons informed the Sixers that he wanted to be traded, but so far no deal has been found. Despite the fact that Simmons is a three-time All-Star and one of the best defensive players in the league, the Sixers are stuck in a difficult position with absolutely no leverage in trade discussions.
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As of now, there are no disgruntled stars elsewhere angling for a trade, and they don’t want to move him for 50 cents on the dollar because despite his limitations he is quite talented. And since they are trying to maximize Embiid’s prime and compete for a title right now, prospects and picks aren’t enticing either. That’s left them hoping they could convince Simmons to at least start the season with the team. Perhaps after a few weeks of games, and some strong performances, his trade value would increase.
But with training camp now just a few days away, Simmons is still on the West Coast and plans to hold out. Despite the threat of fines, reports earlier this week indicated he is intent on never playing for the Sixers again. He is “mentally checked out” of the situation, Charania reported on Saturday.
For now, things remain at an impasse, and that won’t change until the Sixers are willing to lower their asking price, or Simmons changes his mind about reporting to the team. The longer it takes for either side to flinch, the uglier this is going to get.
