USA Today via Reuters
May 26, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) reacts after dunking the ball against the Washington Wizards during the first quarter of game two in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
May 26, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) reacts after dunking the ball against the Washington Wizards during the first quarter of game two in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The saga of Ben Simmons has been ongoing since the last playoffs. He has not played a single game for the Philadelphia 76ers this season and has held out for practice as well. Simmons has demanded a trade but the 76ers haven’t found a worthy package for him.
Simmons is one of the best players in the league and he is a max player, so finding trade packages for him has been hard. On his best days, Simmons is the best defensive player in this league, and he is a floor general with great vision.
The 76ers thought they had the point guard of the future, but it has not worked out as they had expected. Simmons’ inability to shoot makes him a non-threat on the perimeter and it has made life difficult for Embiid and others.
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USA Today via Reuters
May 31, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) reacts after the basket during the first quarter against the Washington Wizards during game four in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
He had hoped to find a new team where he can get a fresh start but has been unable to do so. Many teams would want to have a player like Simmons, but they will have to give a lot to get him. The 76ers will hold out as long as they can since Simmons is still under contract for 3 more years. Meanwhile, Ben is losing money every day he holds out, but he has no intentions of returning to the 76ers ever.
Kendrick Perkins says Ben Simmons’ “plan backfired on him”
Former NBA champion and current basketball analyst, Kendrick Perkins believes Ben’s vision for the future has not gone according to plan. He said “It seems like his plan backfired on him. I’m not saying he did it on purpose. He never said it publically. But you know, in the back of his mind, he’s probably saying they’re not gonna be good without me.”
“It seems like [Ben Simmons'] plan backfired on him. … It’s not on Philly to trade you to get back something less to cover up for your lack of performance last year in the postseason.”
—@KendrickPerkins on how the 76ers' success affects Ben Simmons' trade value pic.twitter.com/TCMoKK1BQO
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 3, 2022
“How bad do Ben Simmons want it? … How bad do Ben Simmons actually want to play the game of basketball?… You got to help Philly to help you… It’s not on Philly to trade you to get back something less to cover up for your lack of performance last year in the postseason.”
Everyone expected the 76ers to struggle without Simmons, but they have rallied back from that and are currently third in the East. Embiid is having another MVP-type season and the 76ers seem to have moved on from Simmons.
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The 76ers have made it clear that they are not willing to let go of Simmons for cheap and they will need another All NBA player in return. As the trade deadline approaches, it will be very interesting to see if Simmons is still on the 76ers by then.
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