Ben Simmons seemed to make his point clear toward the Philadelphia 76ers all offseason.
He wanted out and was not going to change his mind.
Teammates were told not to visit him because he was so set on losing money by sticking to his view.
Well, about that.
The organization's hopes are unchanged: Get Simmons back into Philadelphia, onto the court and ultimately convince him that it's still the place for the long-term.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 11, 2021
A recent report declares Simmons and the 76ers may have found some common ground.
Is money the main factor here?
That would certainly make sense as leaving over $30 million on the table is a ludicrous decision.
If he does come back, an awkward situation is in store for everyone.
Still Seeking A Trade
The report does mention that the 76ers are still seeking trades for Simmons.
Yet the lack of a deal so far likely means there is little interest, or the asking price is way too high.
The Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, have been working around the clock over the last few days on a resolution to have the three-time All-Star return to market, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 11, 2021
The latter being true, which seems to be the case, means the 76ers are convinced Simmons should stay and that they can win with him around.
They may also need to have some trade packages in their back pocket given the potential animosity created by Simmons in this situation.
An Awkward State Of Affairs
So, how is this going to go?
Simmons basically came out and said he doesn’t think this team is a good fit for him.
That is a direct shot at his teammates and 76ers star Joel Embiid.
A lot of these problems started last postseason when Simmons seemingly refused to shoot the ball, even if an easy dunk was right in front of him.
Embiid and head coach Doc Rivers must have slighted Simmons enough for him to declare he had to be traded even though he recently signed a lucrative extension.
If they can convince Simmons to return, everyone just has to be professional.
But if his shooting woes continue, expect the drama to build exponentially.
NEXT: Ben Simmons Set To Lose Millions Over 76ers Holdout