Aussie NBA rookie Josh Giddey’s Ben Simmons wish

As Ben Simmons’ standoff with the Philadelphia 76ers continues, an Aussie sensation has revealed his hope for the troubled star.

Josh Giddey wants to play with Ben Simmons.

Australian NBA rookie Josh Giddey says he would love to play with Ben Simmons one day.

After being picked up by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the sixth pick in the NBA draft, the 19-year-old sensation has already made an impression among US basketball fans.

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Giddey has left pundits in awe of his instinctive playmaking skills and in his final pre-season game, he came agonisingly close to notching the first triple double of his NBA career.

Across four hit-outs in the pre-season, of which the Thunder won just one, Giddey averaged 13.5 points, seven rebounds and five assists. He also shot from the field with 52.3 per cent accuracy and sunk triples at a 40 per cent success rate.

Just days before his NBA debut, Giddey has revealed he idolises Simmons and would love to play alongside him for the Boomers.

“Ben’s an All-Star,” Giddey told Channel 9.

“He’s young. He’s been a multiple All-Star, he’s a max contract player.

“I’ve looked up to him for a long time. I went to his basketball camps, like, four years ago.”

Josh Giddey wants to play for the Boomers with Ben Simmons. (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)

“You know he’s a superstar and hopefully one day me and him can team up, you know, when it’s the Olympic Games or World Cup or something, in the Australian jersey.”

Giddey and Simmons are yet to play on the same team together after the troubled Philadelphia 76ers star opted to skip the Tokyo Olympics and pass up the chance to represent the country of his birth.

The teenager played limited game time in Australia’s Olympic warm up games but wasn’t included in the final Boomers squad that won bronze in Tokyo.

Giddey is hoping to take his current form into the Thunder’s regular season, which begins with an away game against the Utah Jazz on Thursday (AEDT).

The former Adelaide 36ers guard is excited to be able to share the court with some of his idols, as well as some familiar Australian faces.

“There’s obvious ones like the stars like LeBron (James), Steph (Curry), Kevin Durant, those type of guys are the obvious ones,” he told SEN earlier this month.

“But I’m looking forward to playing against a couple of the Australians.

The Aussie has impressed in his pre-season games. Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP

“We play Utah in our first game so I get to play Joe Ingles, someone I’ve looked up to for a long time in my first NBA game.

“All those superstars I’ve watched on TV for so many years. It’s going to be pretty surreal being on the same floor as them.”

Giddey will play in front of the Oklahoma City home crowd for the first time in the regular season when the Thunder meets the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday 25 October (AEDT).

It remains to be seen whether Giddey will come up against Simmons, whose future at the Sixers remains under a cloud.

Simmons hasn’t featured in any of Philadelphia’s pre-season games and it’s unclear if he will line up for the 76ers when the season proper tips off this week.

The 25-year-old is under contract at the Sixers for four more seasons but is understood to be hoping for a trade to a rival side.