As it’s happening more and more often nowadays, Ben Simmons is trying to force his way out of the Philadelphia 76ers.
It’s getting more common to see players holding out, dissing their organizations, or doing whatever it takes to leave their franchises regardless of their contract obligations.
We saw it with Anthony Davis, we saw it with James Harden, and we’re seeing it now with Simmons.
That’s why an unnamed Eastern Conference executive believes that the Sixers — and the league – just can’t afford to cave to his demands, as it’d set a dangerous precedent:
“[Expletive] that,” said the NBA executive, as quoted by the International Business Times. “You let a guy force his way out with four years left on a max contract and you set a terrible precedent. They [76ers] can’t cave.”
There hasn’t been much traction regarding potential trades, not because Simmons isn’t an appealing asset but because his trade value has hit rock bottom.
Nonetheless, the Indiana Pacers have emerged as a darkhorse destination for him, even ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers, as per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst:
“I know that they [Pacers] don’t have an All-NBA player to trade, I realize that. But they have a bunch of really good players and, as Bobby Marks [mentions], they control all of their picks,” Windhorst stated.
“That is not like the Portland Trail Blazers, they don’t control [their picks]. With as much talent as they [Pacers] have and as much money as they’re spending, I still think they’re just in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference.”
It’s clear that both the Sixers and Simmons are ready to move on from each other. But the precedent this could set could shake the league’s foundation. Eventually, a team will have to stand up to the players and their agents.
