Following another disappointing playoff run, the Philadelphia 76ers have become the laughing stock of the NBA.
At the center of all the criticism, though, is Ben Simmons, whose shooting struggles have handicapped his team more than anything else.
Since suffering a severe case of the yips in the postseason, Ben has been blasted by the community for his failure to improve his game. Throughout the entire offseason, he has been included in countless trade rumors, with several reports indicating Simmon himself wants nothing to do with the franchise.
“Simmons, on the other hand, appears more than interested in playing for a new team. He expects to be traded and has not personally been in close contact with Morey, Embiid, or head coach Doc Rivers this offseason, sources told Bleacher Report. Simmons’ representation has further canvassed rival front offices, gauging their interest in creating a new home for the 25-year-old All-Star and this year’s runner-up in Defensive Player of the Year.”
Of course, Ben has yet to be traded from Philly, mostly due to the team’s ridiculously high asking price. According to The Athletic, the Sixers have not been impressed with any offer they’ve received so far.
The 76ers have conducted expansive discussions with several teams for Ben Simmons, including Minnesota and Toronto.
But neither a Timberwolves package nor the Raptors’ proposals have appealed to the 76ers as of yet.
More, via @ShamsCharania: https://t.co/OUlIr2FwYQ pic.twitter.com/j3wGFp0u8O
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) August 30, 2021
Bearing in mind the past few weeks, and how damaging they’ve been to Ben’s trade value, many fans expressed some pretty harsh takes about his future on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/JJMaples55_MST/status/1432392226739408897https://twitter.com/WigginsBurner22/status/1431068182291181568
No idea if true obviously, but *IF* Philly had a legit shot to get De'Aaron Fox in a Simmons trade and passed to hold out for more…woof.
— Ben Dowsett (@Ben_Dowsett) August 27, 2021
Ben Simmons’ future https://t.co/iaitjXL2id
— Devin Jones (@DevinJonesMN) August 30, 2021
Ben Simmons and Kyle Kuzma playing for Bishop Sycamore in 2023 pic.twitter.com/ZRcCLzWl6k
— Ćøštå™ (@gcosta26_) August 31, 2021
https://twitter.com/AcostaGerrad/status/1432354230241800192https://twitter.com/Curtis45724/status/1432355369242673155
29 NBA teams: We don't want Ben Simmons
The Timberwolves: pic.twitter.com/Dy6f0xam66
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) August 28, 2021
I can confidently say Scottie Barnes will 100% be better than Ben Simmons in a few years.
— Swish (@TalkRaptors) August 30, 2021
There are a lot of things Ben Simmons does well. He’s a star defender, above-average playmaker, and solid finisher around the rim.
But until he develops some kind of jumper, and re-gains some of his confidence, he will never realize his true potential.
While a fresh start might be what the guy needs most at this point of his career, not a lot of teams seem willing to give him a chance right now.
“I don’t think there is a huge market out there right now for him,” he said. “There are a lot of teams that are now at this point in the season with training camps so close. They kind of want to start the season and see what they have. So I know that the Timberwolves at the table, I don’t know if there are many others at the table right now… I really anticipate that the asking price could drop considerably over the next couple of weeks.”
With the future still so uncertain, nobody knows what comes next for Simmons. The only thing we know for certain is that unless he can work on correcting his biggest flaws, the fans will not let up.
