The Philadelphia 76ers need to come to their sense before it’s too late regarding Ben Simmons.
From everything that has been reported, the relationship between Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers seems unsalvagable. And if that is indeed the case, it’s time for the Sixers to bite the bullet, trade Simmons, and begin to move on.
Assuming that it’s indeed too late to mend relationships, with less than a month before training camp opens, the last thing that the Sixers need is to let this whole ordeal linger into the start of the 2021-22 NBA season.
Especially if the Sixers have any interest in competing in a difficult Eastern Conference this season. Though, if Philadelphia is indeed ready to move on and place their entire focus on the start of the new season, it’s going to require one thing: for them to bite the bullet and likely sell low on Simmons.
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That’s something that’s easier said than done, especially when the franchise has spent the last few years envisioning the duo of Simmons and Joel Embiid leading them to a championship, not leading them toward a power struggle that was ultimately going to crescendo with trading one of them.
Nevertheless, those are the current circumstances and the Sixers don’t have many more options. Especially as Simmons and his agent, Rich Paul, have elected to go nuclear earlier this week.
Simmons’ camp has made it clear that he wants out and that he isn’t afraid to make things messy if the Sixers don’t oblige. It’s been reported that Simmons is done with the Sixers and that he’s willing to be a no-show at training camp if he’s not traded by then.
He’s short of an ESPN interview from going full Jimmy Butler on the Minnesota Timberwolves – and we all know how that turned out for Minnesota.
Ben Simmons may not be able to reach his ceiling with the Philadelphia 76ers, and that’s OK
Simmons is still considered one of the most talented young players in the league. He’s one of the best two-way guards in the league, a great playmaker, and, when he’s attacking the rim, is one of the most unstoppable offensive forces in the fastbreak.
The big concern revolves around his continued shooting struggles and recent struggles in the playoffs. Quite frankly, I’m not sure if those are things the Sixers are currently set up to resolve for Simmons at the moment.
Philadelphia is a contender, with or without Simmons. A big part of that is the greatness of Embiid. As harsh as it may sound, the Sixers aren’t in a position where they can wait for Simmons to figure his issues out. And until he is able to figure those things out, as long as he’s on the roster, Simmons will be viewed as a target by opposing teams. That’s the way the Sixers will be schemed, especially in the playoffs.
It may be in the best interest for both Simmons and the Sixers to just move on.
The Sixers have hit a fork in the road and a decision needs to be made sooner rather than later. Either they’re willing to go down the “ugly road” with Simmons over the next few weeks and possibly into the season waiting for a trade offer of their liking that they very well may never receive, or they could bit the bullet now and trade him before it gets uglier than it already is. Even if that means taking a bit of a step back when it comes to overall talent on the roster.
All eyes are currently on the Sixers. And one thing that they don’t have at the moment is time.