Ben Simmons’ NBA future now rests in the hands of the franchise that has attempted to trade him

Ben Simmons is brilliant at his best, but his substandard shooting has left his next NBA career move largely out of his hands.

Ben Simmons won’t be seen in a Philadeliphia singlet anytime soon. Picture: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Ben Simmons is walking a tightrope, not completely due to his own doing, and his next move will not only define his NBA career but his reputation on and off the court.

Simmons is officially in limbo after informing Philadelphia officials he no longer wants to be a Sixer and does not intend to report to training camp.

He is so disillusioned and disappointed with the 76ers that he hasn’t answered calls from the franchise for weeks. He is also willing to pay fines to miss pre-season camp as a protest.

Simmons’ relationship with Philadelphia is broken despite having four years and a whopping $147m remaining on his deal. It’s over. Done and dusted.

And in some ways, you can’t blame Simmons for wanting to walk away.

Philadelphia has publicly displayed a lack of confidence and commitment to him for some time, dating back to last season when the franchise attempted to trade him for then Houston superstar James Harden.

The tension then reached boiling point after Simmons’ substandard shooting during the 76ers’ most recent playoff run that prompted teammate Joel Embiid to blame Simmons for the side’s Game 7 semi-final loss to Atlanta.

Ben Simmons no longer wants to be a 76er. Picture: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers then refused to comment post-game when asked if Simmons could be the point guard on a championship team.

“I don’t know the answer to that right now,” Rivers said.

Rivers’ response said it all.

As brilliant as Simmons can be, especially on the defensive end, his lack of an established shot is a glaring and problematic weakness.

And when you are max-level player, raking in $167m over five years, NBA teams expect more from their superstars.

It’s a reasonable expectation, and one Simmons has failed to meet since joining the world’s best basketball league.

We’ve all seen Simmons’ pre-season training footage of him sinking jumpers and shots from range, but he has never transferred that form to the regular season.

Philadelphia’s frustration with Simmons’ shooting shone bright during his poor playoff performance against Atlanta.

His shooting, even from the free-throw line, regressed so badly that he joined the NBA record books for woeful shot making.

As a result, Simmons’ market value has plummeted, making it difficult for Philadelphia to trade him for the assets they’d want in return, and panic is setting in.

The 76ers understandably want a hefty reward for trading Simmons as a max-level defensive player of the year candidate who is also a brilliant passer and almost unstoppable when attacking the rim.

Simmons want to play in California. Picture: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Sadly, rival teams just remember his poor performance in the second round of the NBA playoffs against the Hawks.

It leaves Philadelphia in a tough position to receive the value they are looking for in a Simmons trade.

Simmons’ camp has indicated that he wants to play in California, where he has been training for weeks attempting to improve his shooting.

The likes of Golden State, Portland, Sacramento and San Antonio have all been reported as potential landing spots for Simmons.

The dream scenario for Simmons would be a franchise like the Warriors, where his running game, passing and dogged defence would perfectly complement world-class shooters Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

But reports suggest Golden State remains “divided” about a Simmons trade, and the Melbourne-born star may have to settle for whatever a rival team is prepared to pay the 76ers.

This means Simmons could land at a rebuilding franchise or a location that isn’t as stunning or lavish as California.

Simmons’ future now ironically rests on Philadelphia president of basketball operations Daryl Morey – the man who has repeatedly attempted to move Simmons on from the 76ers.

Morey has a reputation of securing blockbuster deals, but he’ll have to produce his best to pull off a lucrative deal for Philly to part ways with Simmons given the Aussie star’s current trade stock.