Report: Ben Simmons disinclined to help 76ers after Daryl Morey, Doc Rivers comments
76ers president Daryl Morey said he wouldn’t trade Ben Simmons… then offered Simmons to the Rockets for James Harden. After Philadelphia lost in the second round of the playoffs, 76ers coach Doc Rivers said he didn’t know whether Simmons could be the point guard on a championship team.
Now, Simmons is threatening to hold out until traded.
Apparently, Simmons’ camp blames those comments from Morey and Rivers for the situation devolving.
The Philadelphia 76ers are not obligated to grant Ben Simmons' wishes
The Philadelphia 76ers will not get fair trade value for Ben Simmons, and he does not care.
Keep in mind, Simmons has averaged a 16-8-8 for his career and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season. He was an All-NBA player in 2020. He is an asset for a 50-win team and could make Philadelphia a serious title contender if he remained committed to extending his range beyond 8 feet.
That is as close to a win-win situation as either side is going to find, only Simmons does not want to report to training camp, partly because Sixers coach Doc Rivers told the truth about not knowing whether the 25-year-old could be the point guard for a championship team. That is a universal truth Simmons refuses to accept, even as the trade market for his services reflects how many teams agree with Rivers' assessment.
I recall the season when Rondo won his NBA championship ring in Boston, under coach Doc Rivers, when every NBA fan was doubting Rondo's raw talent as a starter PG throughout the regular season having the BIG-3 scorers. However, Rondo and assistant coach Thibs defensive strategy got all the praise for the Boston Celtics post season victories.