NBA Trade Rumors: Ben Simmons asks to be traded by Philadelphia 76ers, would like to join a California team
The drama involving Philadelphia 76ers and star point guard Ben Simmons has yet another twist as per the latest NBA trade rumors. Simmons has reportedly informed president Daryl Morey, among others, that he no longer wants to be with them. Simmons also does not plan on reporting for training camp with the 76ers.
According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Simmons met with Philadelphia 76ers' upper echelon last week and informed them about his decision. Pompey wrote:
"In a meeting with 76ers brass last week in Los Angeles, Simmons told team co-managing partner Josh Harris, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, general manager Elton Brand, and coach Doc Rivers that he no longer wants to remain a Sixer, according to multiple sources."
The situation between Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers exploded after their rough loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 Eastern Conference semis. Simmons, a former Rookie of the Year, took a large part of the blame for his poor shooting and inefficient performance in the series. He averaged just 9.9 ppg over the seven-game series and failed to reach double-digit scoring in three of the last seven games.
After the series loss, Philadelphia 76ers coach Rivers was asked if Ben Simmons could be a point guard on a championship team, to which Rivers replied, “I don’t know the answer to that right now.” The criticism and lack of support from his team clearly did not go down well with Simmons.
NBA Trade Rumors: What's next for Ben Simmons and Philadelphia 76ers?
In the same report, Keith Pompey noted a conversation with a Western Conference executive who stated that Ben Simmons would like to be traded to a California-based NBA team. California has four such teams, namely the Golden State Warriors, the two LA teams and the Sacramento Kings. However, the Warriors reportedly rejected the steep asking price for Simmons sought by Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey.
Morey believes that he can get a king’s ransom for Ben Simmons, something other teams are unwilling to give up for the 25-year-old. The problem for the other teams is Simmons’ huge $177 million contract that still has four more years left on it.
With Ben Simmons struggling with his mid-range and outside shooting, that is not the kind of money teams are willing to pay him. His lack of shooting (6.4 FGAs) in the Atlanta series has further exaggerated Simmons’ woes and Philadelphia’s inability to land a suitor.
Simmons, nonetheless, has a solid NBA resume over his four-year career in the league. He's averaged 15.9 ppg and 7.7 apg in his time with Philly. He was the 2019-20 steals champion and is a two-time All-Defensive team member.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: Philadelphia 76ers fixated on landing Damian Lillard in a potential Ben Simmons trade