Before the 2021-22 season All-Star guard Ben Simmons demanded a trade from the Sixers.
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After an unprecedented loss for the Sixers in Game 7 of 2021 ECSF, Ben Simmons was the punching bag for the fans. Social media lashed out at the star guard for his poor showing in the playoffs. His passed-up wide-open dunk was the talk of the NBA community.
Things took a bad turn when his teammate Joel Embiid and coach Doc Rivers made statements to the media. Instead of supporting the former All-Star, they chose to call out the star guard for his lack of shooting. A reporter asked 76ers coach if Simmons could be a point guard on a championship team, to which Rivers responded: “I don’t even know how to answer that right now.”
Ben Simmons responded by demanding a trade. As indicated, Simmons continued to miss the training camp. On his return, he was allegedly thrown out of practice by Doc Rivers due to him denying to substitute in a drill. Simmons has not played for the Sixers since, even at the cost of paying a fine of 1.4 million dollars.
However, Simmons cited mental health issues as the reason behind his absence. The sixers stopped fining Simmons thereafter. The fines resumed soon after Simmons decided to not cooperate with team officials.
Multiple teams have shown interest in Ben Simmons, yet Daryl Morey struggles to find a suitable offer.
Since the Sixers made Ben Simmons available in the trade market, a lot of teams have made offers for the star guard. As per reports Knicks, Lakers, Cavs, Trail Blazers, Kings, and Pacers are amongst the potential trade destinations.
A lot of speculation has been going on regarding the deals that the Sixers might be getting. According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the 76ers spoke to the Kings about a possible trade but were told that the Kings would not include De’Aaron Fox or Tyrese Haliburton.
Further reports suggest that the Kings want to keep their core intact amid the appointment of Alvin Gentry as the interim coach. Fox still remains to be the future of the Kings. While it feels like Fox’s best basketball may be yet to come, Simmons’ offensive production has been moving in the wrong direction.
The Sixers are asking for a steep price for Simmons, which has resulted in a lot of teams backing out. The future of the former All-Star still remains uncertain. However, the longer this saga stretches out, the harder it will be for Daryl Morey to find a satisfactory offer.
