Ben Simmons may be stuck in Philadelphia for months amid trade deadlock

An NBA insider has made a revealing claim about Ben Simmons’ future as his standoff with the 76ers remains at a stubborn impasse.

An ESPN basketball insider believes Simmons might end up staying in Philly after all. Picture: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

With only weeks to go before the NBA season commences, the trade talk surrounding Ben Simmons keeps rolling on.

But one NBA insider believes Simmons isn’t going anywhere for at least a couple of months.

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Speaking on SEN’s Breakfast with Garry and Tim, NBA reporter Bobby Marks of ESPN said the Simmons saga could drag on into “early December”.

The Australian point guard was a no-show at the 76ers’ pre-season camp, as he looks to force through a move away from Philadelphia.

However, Marks doesn’t think Simmons will don a new jersey in time for the new season as the Sixers struggle to find adequate compensation for him in a trade package.

“He’s (Simmons) gonna be home (in Philadelphia),” Marks said. “I think he’ll be home, he’ll still have the Sixer name attached to him.

“I don’t think he’s gonna be traded by the time the season starts.

“I think it gets dragged into mid-November, maybe even into early December.

“But I still think he’s gonna be a Sixer when we get going in a couple of weeks.”

As to where Simmons could end up, there are numerous teams in the race to secure the star’s signature. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey reports the Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves and the Indiana Pacers have all asked about Simmons’ availability, while the Denver Nuggets were also mentioned last month.

Marks believes the teams named by Pompey are best positioned to make a move and conceded their failure to make the playoffs last season could drive a higher price in terms of what they’re willing to give up for Simmons.

An NBA insider believes Simmons will still be at the 76ers for months to come. Picture: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images/AFP

“All teams, I am sure, have dipped their toe in the water when it comes to Ben,” Marks said. “Not just Cleveland or San Antonio or Minnesota, Indiana, teams like that.

“Those are the teams that probably have enough to get a deal done, it’s just a matter of how much they are willing to give up.

“Some of those teams are teams that have not made the playoffs, so the price is going to be a lot more.”

No matter where Simmons ends up, he’ll be lighter in the pocket after he missed out on an $AUD11.4 million payment he was due to receive from the 76ers.

He already received the first 25 per cent of his contract worth this season, but the Sixers are refusing to give him the second 25 per cent — or $11.4 million — because of his holdout.

Simmons is determined not to suit up for Philly again and is reportedly prepared to be fined and even suspended for sitting out.

His stance has rubbed Joel Embiid the wrong way. The 76ers’ All-Star centre slammed Simmons’ holdout as “borderline disrespectful” as he mentioned all the franchise has done to accommodate the Aussie star over the years.

“I feel like over the years, our team has been built around (Simmons),” Embiid said last week. “Our teams have always been built around his needs.

“Even going back to the reason we signed Al (Horford), we got rid of Jimmy (Butler), which I still think was a mistake, just to make sure he (Simmons) needed the ball in his hands and that’s the decision they made.

“The situation is disappointing, borderline kind of disrespectful to all the guys that are out here fighting for their lives.

“Some guys rely on the team being successful to stay in the league and make money somehow. Because if you’re on a winning team, you’re always going to have a spot in the league, just because you’re on a winning team and you contributed.

“We are a better team with him, there’s no question about it. We still hope he changes his mind, but I kind of owe it to these guys to worry about what we have here.”

Simmons’ holdout cost him millions. Picture: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/AFP