Ben Simmons’ “holdout” will continue into the first month of the regular season:
All offseason long, the Philadelphia 76ers have been looking to trade 3x All-Star Ben Simmons, but they have been unable to find the trade package they would like for him. Daryl Morey and the Sixers’ front-office want at least an All-Star-level player in return for Simmons, but no team has been willing to offer up these kinds of assets for Simmons.
Following their loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals last season, a lot of the blame was put on Ben Simmons given his offensive struggles. Not being able to shoot and not really being a scoring threat is something that is well documented in terms of Ben Simmons’ style of play and now, his relationship with the 76ers seems broken beyond repair.
Not only has he formally requested a trade from the team, but Simmons has cut off all communication with those in the organization and is now holding out. He did not report to Media Day on Monday and has since not showed up for mandatory training camp.
Ben Simmons does not appear to be bluffing on his intentions and as a result, there is a very real possibility that this process gets drawn out longer than many expected. When an All-Star becomes avail;able in trade talks,. Many teams usually flock to try and trade for him, but that has not been the case here with Simmons because his trade value has been set so high by the 76ers.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Ben Simmons Prepared To Sit “All Year” If No Trade Occurs
Plus, the Philadelphia 76ers have reverted from their previous stance this offseason and now apparently love Ben Simmons to the point where they want him back with Joel Embiid and the rest of this team.
At this point, the damage has been done and this is such a toxic situation in Philadelphia. Trading him for nothing puts the 76ers at a great loss, but at the same time, his value is deteriorating every single day he holds out, so the Sixers are in a very tough spot right now.
The most likely reason why they want Ben Simmons back is so they can have him play in games and his value will increase again. There is a very real possibility that this holdout does not get resolved in the next week or so, meaning that Simmons will be on the roster for the Sixers on Opening Night.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Ben Simmons Prepared To Sit “All Year” If No Trade Occurs
The question though is whether or not he will actually show up or if the young All-Star will begin to forfeit his game checks to get what he wants.
Verdict: BUY
