The Philadelphia 76ers have made a few surprising moves over the years.
But they reportedly looked at signing one player who would have received a massive backlash from fans.
According to Jake Fischer, the 76ers showed interest in Ben Simmons after he was bought out by the Brooklyn Nets.
If they had done that, they would have heard quite the response from their loud, loyal fans.
The 76ers reportedly showed interest in Ben Simmons after he was bought out by the Nets, per @JakeLFischer. pic.twitter.com/oMvqLjd0Tm
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 8, 2025
Everyone knows Simmons’ history with the 76ers.
He was drafted by them back in 2016 and got to work as a promising young star.
After sitting out his first year because of injury, he made a huge splash in 2017-18 and earned Rookie of the Year honors on an average of 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game.
He was a crucial part of the Sixers for years, but things completely fell apart at the end of the 2020-21 season.
He sat out of 2021-22, supposedly because of an injury, although many reports inside the team said he was demanding a trade to another franchise.
He eventually got it and moved to the Nets, but things weren’t much better in Brooklyn.
The Nets eventually bought out his contract, and he then signed a new one with the Los Angeles Clippers.
But for a brief moment, the 76ers thought about taking him back.
Philadelphia fans are not happy with Simmons, so they would have been forced to embrace a player they swore against.
Simmons is currently without an NBA home, and there are rumors of him retiring.
Perhaps the 76ers will consider him again and offer him a veteran’s minimum deal.
That would be a wild and unexpected move from the team and would make some major headlines.
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