The Philadelphia 76ers remain mired in the Ben Simmons saga with no end to this situation in sight. The Sixers have maintained they want to have him return to the team or make a deal that nets a top 25 player in return.
It appears the Sixers would prefer the former option. Simmons is a three-time All-Star, and he makes a huge impact on the game in all areas other than shooting. It’s obvious the Sixers miss his presence on the floor.
Per veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein, the Sixers would still rather have Simmons return and work things out rather than trade him as Stein reports:
The 76ers will be discussing various Simmons trade scenarios for the next month, but actually trading him before the NBA’s annual trade buzzer is not their preferred scenario. As it stands.
Convincing Simmons to rejoin the team and play as much of the remaining schedule as possible, according to one source familiar with Philadelphia’s thinking, is the club’s “goal No. 1” when it comes to the wayward playmaker.
Do the Sixers have any hope of getting that sort of commitment from Simmons if the deadline passes without a deal? That’s difficult to envision when he has made his desire to play elsewhere so clear … and when it sinks in that Simmons last played for the Sixers on June 20, 2021, in their fateful Game 7 playoff loss to Atlanta.
It makes sense why the Sixers would rather have Simmons return, given his elite playmaking and his elite play on the defensive end. That makes him a valuable piece to this team despite his lack of scoring or shooting.
Despite what the fans and others might think, they have to find a way to get him to return. This situation has hung over the franchise since the offseason, so they need to resolve this sooner rather than later.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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