Aussie superstar Ben Simmons future still up in air as standoff with Philadelphia 76ers continues
‘There are teams interested in Ben Simmons, they just don’t want to pay the steep price.’ It’s been a common refrain all the NBA off-season - and the man himself isn’t in the mood to help out.
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As training camp approaches, the standoff between Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers threatens to take an ugly turn - if it has not already.
It was reported earlier in the week that Simmons is prepared to be fined $1.3 million if it means skipping training camp and, if that had not made the situation awkward enough, that is only the start of the drama.
The latest report claims that Simmons’ camp is blaming president Daryl Morey and head coach Doc Rivers for the ongoing saga.
Speaking on ‘97.5 The Fanatic Philadelphia’, The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey said Simmons is not in a mood to help the Sixers out.
“There are teams that are interested in Ben Simmons, they just don’t want to pay the steep price,” Pompey said.
“Ben Simmons knows that, so they are saying why should we help the 76ers out when they feel like when Doc Rivers said what he said, nobody apologised, and Doc was never reprimanded.”
Rivers publicly revealed his lack of confidence in Simmons after Philadelphia’s Game 7 defeat to Atlanta in the playoffs last season.
“I don’t know the answer to that right now,” coach Rivers said when he was asked whether Simmons could be the starting point guard of a championship team.
Morey, meanwhile, had previously insisted he would not trade Simmons, claiming he was an “important part” of the franchise’s future during the James Harden drama.
The Sixers are pushing to move Simmons on but struggling to find the Harden-esque package they are after in return.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings have all been heavily linked to Simmons, but there could be another strong contender.
Noise is growing louder that Cleveland is interested in the 25-year-old, with NBA reporter Marc Stein revealing that the Cavaliers are eyeing a potential trade.
Stein reported that Cleveland’s acquisition of Lauri Markkanen in a sign-and-trade with the Bulls could play a key role.
“League sources say that Cleveland continues to keep its hat in the ring to try to pry Ben Simmons from the Sixers,” Stein wrote.
“The Committee liked the Cavaliers’ recent acquisition of Lauri Markkanen, even after the Cavs drafted Evan Mobley and re-signed Jarrett Allen, because they added Markkanen on a team-friendly contract that will be easy to trade if needed.
“This is no small thing when league sources say that Cleveland continues to keep its hat in the ring to try to pry Ben Simmons from the Sixers.”
Markkanen though cannot be traded until December 15 according to NBA rules, limiting Cleveland’s chances of moving him in time.
SIMMONS WILLING TO COP $1.3M FINE FOR NO-SHOW
Ben Simmons is “prepared” to be fined up to $1.3m for skipping the Philadelphia 76ers training camp as his looming exit from the franchise turns ugly.
Simmons is in limbo after informing 76ers 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, while he is willing to pay fines to miss pre-season camp as a protest.
According to ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst, Simmons’ camp is “prepared for that ramification” if the NBA slaps the Melbourne-born guard with a fine in excess of a million dollars.
Simmons’ relationship with Philadelphia is broken despite having four years and a whopping $147m remaining on his deal.
As brilliant as the guard can be, especially on the defensive end, his lack of an established shot is a glaring and problematic weakness.
And when you are a max-level player, raking in $167m over five years, NBA teams expect more from their superstars.
It’s a completely reasonable expectation and one Simmons has failed to meet since joining the world’s best basketball league.
His shooting, even from the free-throw line, regressed so badly during last year’s NBA playoffs 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 the Australian as a max-level Defensive Player of the Year candidate who is also a brilliant passer and almost unstoppable when attacking the rim.
Sadly, rival teams just remember his poor performance in the second round of the NBA playoffs against Atlanta.
Originally published as Aussie superstar Ben Simmons future still up in air as standoff with Philadelphia 76ers continues
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