Recent reports surfacing over the past couple of days have suggested that Ben Simmons will join the Philadelphia 76ers. The Simmons drama with the 76ers continues, as Simmons had previously stated that he is willing to sit out the season if the Sixers could not, or would not, trade him. The bottom line, from Simmons’ perspective, is that he wants out of Philadelphia. One could assume that this move, by both the player and the team, is to acquire more interest from teams to trade for Simmons.
Why It Makes Sense for Simmons to Join Philadelphia 76ers
In this day and age of player empowerment in the NBA, players have more leverage than ever. For Simmons, if he does not join the team, the likelihood of a team making an offer that 76ers GM, Daryl Morey, is willing to accept to trade Simmons drops dramatically. The Portland Trail Blazers have expressed interest in trading for Simmons, however, Simmons may not want to play for them. All of this drama involving Simmons and the 76ers may result in him deciding to stay in Philadelphia. Multiple reports suggest that he prefers to play for one of the four teams in California. The other option for Simmons is to be traded to a team outside of California.
What This Development Means for Simmons and the 76ers
As mentioned above, players have more power than ever over their careers. However, Simmons could rejoin the team and patch things up with Joel Embiid and his other teammates. Also, this recent development could lead Simmons to patch things up with the front office as well. The fans in Philadelphia are another story. Philadelphia sports fans are very smart and know that Simmons wants out. If Simmons does start the season with the 76ers, he will likely be bombarded with “boo birds” from the Sixers fans. However, the most likely end to this dramatic saga is for Simmons to be traded before the All-Star Break.
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