Ben Simmons has had trade rumors swirling around him for a while, but the Philadelphia 76ers haven’t yet moved him, despite multiple teams being interested in acquiring the star forward.
While moving him may take a while, it seems as though Ben Simmons absolutely wants an exit from the 76ers. There have been prior rumblings that Ben Simmons is “more than interested” in switching teams, and the report mentions that he hasn’t been in contact with key figures in the 76ers organization such as Daryl Morey and Joel Embiid.
The latest news suggests that Ben Simmons would potentially be willing to forgo training camp if he isn’t granted a move. Paolo Uggetti of The Ringer spoke to an NBA scout that suggested that this may be the move for Ben Simmons.
"One scout I spoke to said they wouldn’t be surprised if Simmons considers not showing up to training camp if he hasn’t been traded."
– @PaoloUggetti on the Ben Simmons situation in Philadelphia pic.twitter.com/PXIc9FCuPA
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 23, 2021
We’ve seen players force their ways out of franchises before, and not showing up to training camp could be a step in that direction. If this report is correct, then it looks as though Ben Simmons truly wants to be done with the 76ers. Perhaps it could be best for both the team and the player: the 76ers could get a better-fitting star next to franchise player Joel Embiid, while Ben Simmons would get a new start on a team as the likely centerpiece.
There’s no doubt that Ben Simmons could still potentially become the all-around player that everyone wants him to be. If Ben Simmons can learn to hit his free throws, he will become an even better player. However, there is definitely a lot of questioning about whether that can happen in Philadelphia. Whatever happens though, hopefully, Ben Simmons is in a spot where he can develop at his own pace, and potentially get more touches. It definitely looks as if both he and the 76ers will part ways, and it’s only a matter of time.
