By Jerry Wein
The Sixers and crybaby Ben Simmons have a disagreement:
He thinks his game is just fine, but he wants a trade pronto.
Daryl Morey, the team’s big boss, would love to trade him but he wants pre-June value for his overrated and overpaid guard.
Pre-June because that’s when Simmons and the Sixers were on the big national TV stage in the Eastern semis against the Hawks, and Simmons cowered like a baby, refusing to shoot.
Essentially leaving the Sixers to play 4 against 5, which didn’t work as Atlanta won.
Simmons hasn’t reported to training camp and he is committed to never playing for Philly again.
He also leaked subtle shots at Joel Embiid and ignored efforts from teammates who reached out to him.
With the 76ers not budging off their asking price, and Simmons refusing to suit up for the franchise, NBA teams are taking notice and this saga could play out into the regular season.
“Meanwhile, real Simmons trade talk between the 76ers and other teams continues to be nearly dead,” according to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Kurt Helin.
“Teams have settled into their rosters for the start of the season. Until a franchise suffers a significant injury, or gets off to a slower-than-expected start (or, maybe faster), there is nothing to change that dynamic and spark a deal.”
The 76ers withheld an $8.25 million payment, and Simmons seems willing to lose out on millions of dollars to force a trade:
$33 million (2021-’22), $35.45 million (2022-’23), $37.9 million (2023-’23) and $40.34 million (2024-’25)
