Ben Simmons has been practicing with the Philadelphia 76ers since last week, but he will not be on the floor when they open their season on Wednesday night. That is because the former first overall pick has been suspended.
The Sixers announced in a statement on Tuesday that Simmons has been suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team. There was very little detail in the brief press release, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the suspension came after Doc Rivers threw Simmons out of practice.
Sixers coach Doc Rivers threw Ben Simmons out of practice today and the suspension came shortly thereafter, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 19, 2021
Those who have followed Simmons’ antics in practice since he reported to Philadelphia are not surprised. There have been reports that he is simply going through the motions with the team and still has no interest in being there. Then on Monday, a video from practice showed Simmons hanging in the background on his own while all of his teammates and coaches huddled up.
Simmons clearly does not want to be a part of anything that is going on in Philadelphia. There are likely two reasons he decided to show up to camp. One is so he can put a stop to the fines, and the other is to help facilitate a trade. Although, it is obvious to rival teams at this point that the two sides cannot coexist.
With Simmons already suspended, it would not be a surprise if he has played his last game for the Sixers. His teammates are clearly fed up with him, and the same is almost certainly true for coaches and team executives. It’s only a matter of time before Simmons is traded.
Photo: Jan 30, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) talks to fans before a game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
