Ben Simmons’ 2020/21 season ended terribly, with the point guard scoring 19 points combined in the last three games against the Atlanta Hawks. Now that the season is over, with all the criticism Ben received, even from Joel Embiid and Doc Rivers, the team and the player’s representatives are reportedly working on a solution for this issue.
Simmons’ regression since his rookie year is incredible, and fans are tired of the player vowing to get better every offseason only to play worse when the campaign starts.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Ben’s agent, Rich Paul, sat down with Daryl Morey and Elton Brand to discuss the player’s future with the team.
Discussions on Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons’ future with the franchise started in Chicago this week and included Simmons’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, and Sixers management, sources told ESPN.
Paul met with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and general manager Elton Brand at the pre-draft combine to begin evaluating the next steps in Simmons’ Sixers career, sources said.
Although no formal trade request was made, Paul did drop the idea that Ben should get traded to have a fresh start in his career. However, the team isn’t thinking about that, as they hope to keep Simmons on board.
Paul engaged the Sixers on whether it makes sense to work together to find a trade before the start of next season, but no request was made and the sides are expected to continue talking ahead of the July 29 NBA draft and August free agency, sources said. The 76ers are committed to keeping Simmons as a central piece of their franchise, sources said.
The team is willing to continue their relationship with Simmons. The Australian is a crucial piece on the squad, and the front office wants to keep him on the roster. However, this shows that the trade is a possibility for his management. Perhaps this possibility gets bigger in the following months, ultimately leading to Ben’s departure from Philly.
