Philadelphia 76ers: Should the Sixers call Ben Simmons’ bluff?
What should the Philadelphia 76ers do about Ben Simmons?
Since the Philadelphia 76ers were prematurely eliminated from the postseason, much has been made about the team’s flawed roster. Specifically, the mismanagement of Ben Simmons and whether he truly fits with Joel Embiid.
Because of those questions, it was reported that the team was going to shop – and ultimately trade – Simmons this offseason. It seems as if as soon as that was leaked, Simmons was done with the Sixers.
Simmons has reportedly cut off communication with the Sixers and, understandably wants to be traded away from Philadelphia. The problem, of course, is that Philadelphia isn’t just going to give Simmons away.
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And with his trade value at an all-time low, it’s going to be difficult for the Sixers to find a trade that will allow them to recoup what they believe Simmons should go for on the trade market.
Either way, it’s a difficult situation for all parties involved. After the way Simmons has been treated and downright victimized, it’s no surprise that he probably wants a fresh start away from Philadelphia.
At the same rate, the Sixers are not to be blamed for wanting to trade Simmons for either a player or a group of players that would fit on this roster better. Have they handled it in a great manner? That could be debated. But, for the most part, that’s irrelevant at this point.
Should the Philadelphia 76ers call Simmons’ bluff?
Assuming that all the recent reporting revolving around the Sixers and Simmons is accurate, there’s a good chance that Philadelphia will either have to call his bluff or trade him for pennies on the dollar (which would likely result in the team taking a step back).
I’m not exactly sure what Philadelphia will elect to do, but it’s certainly not a good situation right now. For a team that entered this past year’s playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the East, it’s quite disappointing to see how they’ve started this offseason.
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Looking at the East’s landscape, you can make an argument that the Sixers are the only playoff team in the conference that has not improved their roster this offseason. Of course, there’s still plenty of time for that to change before the start of the 2021-22 season, but it’s looking more and more like the Sixers could be taking a step down in conference hierarchy next season.