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Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers appear to be at an impasse. Simmons reportedly informed the Sixers that he wants to be traded and that he doesn't plan to attend training camp in Philadelphia, which begins next week. The Sixers shopped Simmons around over the offseason, but they didn't find any offers that they found to be especially enticing. So, the team is looking to bring Simmons back into the fold, for the time being,
Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers appear to be at an impasse. Simmons reportedly informed the Sixers that he wants to be traded and that he doesn't plan to attend training camp in Philadelphia, which begins next week. The Sixers shopped Simmons around over the offseason, but they didn't find any offers that they found to be especially enticing. So, the team is looking to bring Simmons back into the fold, for the time being,
The Sixers remain intent on trying to convince Simmons to report to camp, and he still plans not to attend, according to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein. Now, an awkward training camp appears inevitable for Philadelphia. Either Simmons reports to camp and his presence adds a layer of tension to the locker room, or his absence becomes an enormous elephant in the room -- at least until all of his teammates are asked about it ad nauseam after the first practice.
The rift between the two sides dates back to last season when Simmons was dangled in trade talks for James Harden. A deal never came to fruition, but the fact that the organization was willing to move him rubbed Simmons the wrong way, despite the fact that he said all of the right things publicly at the time. Things really came to a head following Simmons' underwhelming performance against the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. After the series, Simmons was unhappy with comments made by both Joel Embiid and Doc Rivers. When asked if he thought Simmons could be a championship-level point guard, Rivers replied "I don't know the answer to that."