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The NBA trade deadline is exactly one month away and there is still little to no movement on the Ben Simmons’ front. Despite a flurry of rumors, the three-time All-Star remains on the Philadelphia 76ers’ roster. The team continues to list him out due to personal reasons.
Simmons has mental health issues. Or just needs a change of scenery, one that doesn’t overlook the Schuylkill River. It really depends on whom you ask (and what his or her agenda is). Either way, Simmons is seeking a trade out of Philly and the stalemate continues into its fourth month.
According to plugged-in reporter Marc Stein, “goal No. 1” is to keep Simmons and convince him to come back. But Stein cited sources saying that Simmons has no desire to ever wear a Sixers’ uniform again, something he pledged from day one and isn’t backing down from. Stein wrote the following:
One source close to the situation insisted to me over the weekend that the Sixers have little-to-no hope of success if their intent is to let the trade deadline pass without dealing Simmons and then try to lobby him to rejoin the squad for the regular season’s stretch run as well as the postseason.
Simmons is said to be holding firm on his pledge to never again wear the uniform of the team that selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
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Sixers Stop Fining Simmons (Again)
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Sixers have stopped fining Simmons after he agreed to attend training sessions and team meetings. One sticking point had been Simmons’ unwillingness to see a team-mandated mental health specialist, but the disgruntled point guard has been doing that. Remember, he has been playing the mental health card since Doc Rivers kicked him out of practice on October 19.
Even if Simmons has decided to follow the Sixers’ rules, it might not help him get out of basketball purgatory. Charania added: “And yet, the 76ers don’t appear any closer to a trade than they were in the offseason and prior to training camp.”
One new team being mentioned in trade talks has been the Atlanta Hawks. John Collins is becoming increasingly frustrated with his role. The idea of packaging Collins with 6-foot-8 swing player Cam Reddish makes a lot of sense, per Charania. Stay tuned. The trade deadline is set for February 10.
Sixers Latest Injury Report
Add Seth Curry to the current list of walking wounded. The Sixers guard was listed as questionable for Monday night’s matchup versus Houston with left ankle soreness. Curry scored 23 points in 37 minutes during a 119-100 win over the San Antonio Spurs on January 7 and didn’t appear to have anything bothering him.
The Sixers listed five total players out against the Rockets: Simmons (personal reasons), Tyrese Maxey (COVID-19), Shake Milton (back), Jaden Springer (illness), Paul Reed (COVID-19). Philadelphia returns to Wells Fargo Center on January 12 to take on the Charlotte Hornets.
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