Ben Simmons has been with the Philadelphia 76ers now for five seasons, he has played four after missing his entire first season due to an injury, and after a couple of frustrating postseason failures, the 25-year old now wants out.
Simmons had a miserable postseason where he shot just 34.2% from the foul line and he still refused to take any jump shots and the struggles from the line affected his aggressiveness. He passed up an open dunk in the Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in fear of being fouled.
Now that the trade request is out there and it is clear that Simmons will not be returning to the team, the embattled star feels as if the team did not develop him properly. The problems began with the Sixers even before Doc Rivers and Daryl Morey arrived and the organization was being run by the likes of Elton Brand and Brett Brown.
Per Chris Broussard on “First Things First”:
The problem in Philly have been long, they happened haven’t before Doc Rivers and Daryl Morey even got there. There’s just a feeling that they haven’t used Ben properly, haven’t developed him properly, and of course, last year, the comments after the Hawks series from Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid didn’t help. And there’s a feeling that Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are not a good fit, because Embiid obviously is the best low post player in the league. Simmons, while he can push it in transition greatly, in the half court set he needs to be near the basket. So that’s why there’s not the fit with him and Embiid because Simmons can’t shoot…I think this can be really ugly for them at the beginning of training camp if they don’t do it.
As far as looking to find a trade for Simmons, the 25-year old reportedly would like to head to California, but Broussard retorted as he reports that Simmons will literally go play for any of the other 29 teams in the league as he just wants out of Philadelphia, desperately:
I was told, here’s the news, that Ben Simmons is willing to go play anywhere for any of the other 29 teams, except for the Philadelphia 76ers. There was a report out a few weeks ago that he wants to go to one of the California winners. The Lakers, the Clippers, or the Warriors. I’m told that was never true. He wants to go anywhere. Do the teams that are out there, Minnesota, Toronto, those are the names of the teams that are really engaged with serious talks with Philadelphia. I’m told Ben Simmons would go there. That’s how much he wants out of Philadelphia.
"I was told Ben Simmons is willing to go play anywhere, for any of the other 29 teams, except for the Philadelphia 76ers." — @Chris_Broussard pic.twitter.com/AuG8PbRNky
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) September 1, 2021
The Sixers will now have to try and get fair value for Simmons as they continue to wade through some murky waters in what has turned into an ugly situation in the City of Brotherly Love.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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