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A very familiar face was sitting courtside for Sunday’s summer league game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets. Ben Simmons made a surprise appearance to support his new teammates in Las Vegas, with some of his old teammates looking on.
Simmons was dressed in his usual designer attire and sat next to Royce O’Neal. He even signed some autographs on his way off the baseline and down the player’s tunnel. The Nets beat the Sixers 91-84 on the court one night after falling to the Toronto Raptors 99-77. The action was fast and furious, but many fans were distracted by Simmons’ presence at the Thomas & Mack Center.
The Philly faithful had a fantastically fun time mocking Simmons after The Athletic’s Rich Hofmann broke the news on Twitter. One user posted a Photoshopped image of Simmons with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant and called it “Weekend at Bennie’s.” Another person said what everyone was thinking: “Doing what he does best watching from the sideline.”
Meanwhile, Simmons was mocked mercilessly for his lack of a jumper, wardrobe decisions, and nagging back injury. The jokes were flowing and the memes relentless for a guy who burned every bridge in Philly before being traded.
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Sixers Haven’t Finalized James Harden’s Deal
James Harden was thought to have signed a two-year contract extension that included a $15 million pay cut, per Shams Charania. Not so fast. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports, Harden’s deal isn’t yet finalized but negotiations are in a “good place.” Sixers president Daryl Morey confirmed that negotiations are “still in progress” during an interview at the Las Vegas Summer League.
“Well, we can’t talk yet. I don’t know,” Morey told reporters after the NBA draft. “We’ll have conversations with him and as you guys have heard it’s a mutual love-fest, so we feel good about that.”
Cassius Winston Shines in Summer League
Cassius Winston was the star of the game for the Sixers despite their 91-84 loss to Brooklyn. The 24-year-old guard scored a team-high 16 points while shooting 7-of-11 from the field along with seven assists. Charlie Brown Jr. added 14 points and four rebounds. Charles Bassey finished with 11 points and nine boards.
Bassey’s performance was a great sign for a team in dire need of a backup center. Paul Reed is the leading candidate to fill that role, unless the Sixers decide to add a big man in free agency. Andre Drummond is off the table after he inked a two-year deal with the Chicago Bulls. Morey appears to be running out of options on the open market.
“We’re going to be opportunistic with a bigger spend in free agency. There will be opportunistic looks at minimal spends,” Morey told reporters on June 24. “But I think the bar will be high on like a minimal spend on the backup center spot because we feel like we got some guys who can contribute.”
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