Getty The Sixers may have found a new trade partner for Ben Simmons.
In the aftermath of the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers blockbuster trade, all parties involved seem to be content with the swap of All-Stars Ben Simmons and James Harden. During his recent address to the media, Nets general manager Sean Marks made it clear that the team is excited about Simmons’ arrival and the role he will play for the Nets. As for the 76ers, they have the same feeling about the acquisition of Harden. For some players, however, the true relief has come from no longer having to deal with the turmoil of looming trades.
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Joel Embiid Breaks Silence About Ben Simmons Departure
After a 100-87 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night, Sixers star Joel Embiid expressed his true feelings about the Harden for Simmons swap and the 3-time All-Star’s departure from the team.
“I’m happy I’m not going to be answering any more questions about that subject. The whole year it was pretty annoying with the whole situation,” Embiid said to reporters per SNY.
“It’s unfortunate that winning was not the biggest factor. It’s unfortunate that for [Simmons] having his own team and I guess being the star was more of his priorities.”
“I’m happy I’m not going to be answering any more questions about that subject…the whole year it was pretty annoying with the whole situation” – Joel Embiid on Ben Simmons being traded away from Philadelphia
Embiid has been having a career year this season. He currently leads the league in points per game with 29.5 and is the third most efficient player behind Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo. Needless to say, the All-NBA center was carrying a significantly heavier load in Simmons’ absence.
Embiid Speaks on Tweet Following Simmons Trade
Last week after the Simmons-Harden trade was completed, Embiid weighed in on the mega-deal. The Sixers star took to Twitter, posting a photo that has become a popular joke stemming from social media figure “Big Fendi” the day he attended “one of his biggest hater’s funeral.”
When asked about the tweet Embiid claimed it was just a coincidence.
“Honestly, I didn’t even know what the tweet was about. I just tweeted a random person,” Embiid told reporters per “Sports Illustrated”. “I just saw the picture on the internet, I thought he was well-dressed, had a nice suit on, good looking. He had some swag, so I thought it was a good picture.”
Harden & Simmons Get Acclimated With New Squads
As for the two premiere players involved in the trade, both seem rather happy in their new uniforms. The 76ers recently posted a picture on their Twitter account of Harden during team practice, seeming to be exhilarated with his new home.
caption this. 😀
Simmons also seems to be getting acquainted with his new teammates, as he was spotted having a moment with his new teammate and two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant during a recent Nets shootaround.
In the building 👀
Both players are unlikely to see any action before the NBA’s All-Star Weekend. Harden is currently sitting out with a hamstring injury while Simmons will have to go through a ramp-up period after missing the first half of the season.
Still, one must admit that the future looks bright not just for both players but for the organizations as well. Only time will tell, but at the moment it seems that everyone is pleased with the trade, ready to move on from all the drama and trade rumors. Now it is time to go out there and compete for a chance to win it all in come playoff time
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Joel Embiid Breaks Silence on True Feelings About Ben Simmons Departure