The Philadelphia 76ers and star Ben Simmons have been going back and forth since the star officially requested his trade in late August after a poor playoff performance. The star guard then had a holdout which he ended on Oct. 11, but he also has exactly been wanting to be with the team.
Things have not gone smoothly since his return as he was thrown out of a practice, suspended for their season opener, then claimed he needs mental help which led to the team to stop fining him, and then they started fining him again after he left the team out of the loop for a bit.
All of these tactics have been frustrating for both sides and Simmons and his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, have blamed the organization for making things worse for him.
Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and The Stadium:
Ben Simmons believes the Philadelphia 76ers’ recent actions are exacerbating his mental health issues, and that the team wants to deem him fit to force him to play, regardless of what he tells the team’s mental health therapist, his agent told The Athletic on Thursday.
“I truly believe the fines, the targeting, the negative publicity shined on the issue — that’s very unnecessary and has furthered the mental health issues for Ben,” Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul said. “Either you help Ben, or come out and say he’s lying. Which one is it?”
Simmons has told the team in the past that he would like to return to the team, but he needs to get himself mentally right. While that may still be the case, the Sixers are still trying to get him back on the floor sooner rather than later. Therefore, they have put some pressure on him to get him back out onto the floor.
Charania added from Paul:
“In this case, we have to get Ben help and not put finances above mental health,” Paul said. “As an agent, I understand contractual obligations and I hold myself accountable in this business. But if someone is telling you something, we can no longer turn a blind eye in today’s world.
“This is no longer about a trade. This is about finding a place where we can help Ben get back to his mental strength and get back on the floor. I want him on the floor playing the game that he loves. I want Ben on the floor whether that’s in a 76ers uniform or any other uniform, that’s not up to me, but I want him in a state where he can resume play. We want to cooperate and want to work him back on the floor.”
At this point, it does appear that the Sixers will have to just wait for Simmons to be mentally ready. They have maintained that they would like him back out on the floor with the team, but at this point, maybe the fines aren’t working and they need to just help him get back with the team. The situation is tricky, but there needs to be some cooperation from both sides.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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