Ben Simmons and the 76ers have been in a highly publicized stand-off for quite some time now. After the 76ers were beaten by the Hawks in the playoffs, there were lots of rumors about a potential Ben Simmons trade. However, since other teams offered subpar offers for Ben Simmons, the 76ers have thus far elected to hold on to the star point guard.
It has recently been reported that Ben Simmons wants to get traded as of now, but his mental health issues have demotivated other teams. It remains to be seen if any teams do end up trading for Ben Simmons but another report claimed that the 76ers are engaged in discussions with the Pistons about a Ben Simmons trade for a package centered around Jerami Grant.
Andre Iguodala has recently commented on the Ben Simmons situation when speaking to Sam Amick of The Athletic and claimed that you “can’t speak” on another person’s mental health. He also added that there’s “too much money” involved, and that takes away from viewing Ben Simmons as a human being.
One particular comment — “Millionaire doesn’t want to fulfill his contractual obligations… cry me a river” — grabbed my attention and reminded me of a recent conversation I’d had with Andre Iguodala, the Golden State veteran who is a longtime member of the National Basketball Players Association’s executive committee.
“I mean, you can’t speak on anybody’s mental health,” Iguodala said of Simmons, who has four seasons and $147 million remaining on his contract. “(It) just is what it is. … But there’s just too much money (involved). And the more money you make, the more (they) take away from us being humans.”
When it comes to the fan discourse on the subject, it sure does seem to be that simple. But some of the skepticism surrounding Simmons is understandable — to a point.
Hopefully, Ben Simmons gets his mental health right and is able to play in the future. Despite a subpar series against Atlanta, he is still a good basketball player that is very talented. Mental health is obviously the priority.
Perhaps we’ll see the 76ers come to a resolution with Rich Paul and Ben Simmons in the future. A move away from Philadelphia could be beneficial for both parties, but it’s unclear how soon that will happen.
