Ever since the second round of the playoffs this past postseason, the relationship between the Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons has slowly been eroding. Now it appears that Simmons has had enough and told the Sixers top heads just how he feels.
Rumored by Keith Pompey of The Inquirer (subscription needed), Simmons has let the Sixers know that he doesn’t want to be a member of the franchise anymore and that he doesn’t plan on showing up for training camp either.
I previously wrote that this could be an outcome as things continued to get worse between the All-Star playmaker and the 76ers. Now that it might actually happen, the Sixers must consider their next move from here on out.
What should the Sixers do with this news regarding the Simmons?
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How president of basketball operations Daryl Morey handles this bit of information is very important. He can’t panic and take the best deal that is currently on the table. However, it’s clear that he has to start dropping on his asking price for Simmons as what he’s currently asking is unrealistic. He has to do this or else he might not get enough for the All-Defensive player.
Despite this rumored request, Morey still has to wait to make the right move, even if that means going into training camp with Simmons still on the roster. That doesn’t mean that Simmons will show up to camp, as this rumor indicates that he won’t.
That being written, this can’t go on into the start of the regular season. Star players demanding trade request has always damaged the chemistry of the team that they are on. Fans have seen it with James Harden and the Houston Rockets or Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans. The Sixers can’t afford the same fallout with their current roster.
While Morey shouldn’t be rushed to make a move within the next week or two, trading Simmons before the start of the regular season is the right move. The Sixers can’t afford to have this negative energy around a roster that should be a top team in the Eastern Conference.