The Ben Simmons trade saga has been the biggest talking point of the summer. Ben Simmons has been with the Sixers since 2016. He faced a lot of criticism last season when the Sixers lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. In fact, he received a lot of backlash from the team and the staff.
In August, Simmons expressed his intentions to leave the Sixers as he didn’t want to be a part of the team. However, the Sixers want an equally good replacement for the 25-year-old Australian and due to that, there’s been a standoff between the franchise and Ben.
Since August, almost every team has been linked with Simmons. However, lately, there have been some positive updates for the Sixers and their fans. According to an NBA Insider, the possibility of Simmons reporting to the team has increased in the past few days.
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Ben Simmons close to reporting to the Philadelphia 76ers
There has been a long standoff between the Sixers and Ben. However, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sixers management and Klutch CEO Rich Paul have been in talks recently and are working on bringing Ben back to Philadelphia.
Sixers officials and Klutch CEO Rich Paul have progressed in talks over recent days on a resolution to bring All-Star Ben Simmons back to Philadelphia in the near future, sources tell ESPN. Discussions are ongoing.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 11, 2021
However, the Sixers haven’t stopped searching for a potential suitor for Simmons yet. Till now they are not satisfied with what is being offered by other franchises in exchange for Simmons. But Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the possibility of the 25-year-old point returning to Philadelphia hasn’t been ruled out and he could report to the team in the near future.
The plan remains for the Sixers to continue canvassing the league for trades, but the possibility of Simmons reporting to the team has increased in recent days, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/zzS14E6nm6
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 11, 2021
How does Simmons’ staying or leaving affect Joel Embiid?
If the reports are to be true, then Simmons could return to the team. But he has previously said that the Sixers’ idea of building its playing style around Joel Embiid won’t suit him. Despite everyone wanting Simmons to return, including Joel Embiid, Simmons wanted a trade. But now that some positive reports are emerging, Joel Embiid could be massively affected.
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Simmons has been pivotal for the Sixers over the last couple of years and if he stays, he would want the team to be built around him. In that scenario, Embiid won’t be the main man in Philadelphia. However, it is yet to be seen if Simmons actually returns or not. The Sixers would continue to build their team around Joel Embiid till then. What do you think about Joel Embiid’s future if Simmons stays? Let us know in the comments below.
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