The Philadelphia 76ers have until the Feb. 10 trade deadline to find a suitor for Ben Simmons. There has been no indication that discussions with rival teams have gone anywhere, and Simmons is apparently fine with that for the time being.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said Monday that Simmons is dug in on never playing for the Sixers again. Even if they are unable to trade him before the deadline, the former first overall pick plans to continue sitting out.
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“The sense is if it takes the entire season to trade him, if it takes all year for the Sixers to find a trade that’s acceptable for him, he’s prepared for that,” Shelburne said.
Shelburne noted that Simmons has been racking up “heavy fines” for missing games and practices, but he remains undeterred.
Most people thought the stalemate between Simmons and the 76ers would have ended a while ago, but here we are. President of basketball operations Daryl Morey has been adamant about not trading Simmons unless the Sixers get draft picks and a top player in return. Those demands are widely viewed as unrealistic, but Morey doesn’t seem to care.
Philadelphia fell to 25-18 with Monday’s loss to the Washington Wizards. A recent report claimed they could try to include another star player in trade talks involving Simmons, but we doubt that is going to change anything. It’s entirely possible Simmons won’t play at all this season.
Photo: Apr 9, 2021; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons (25) gestures after a call in the first quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
