Report: Ben Simmons turned down meeting with 76ers teammates

Ben Simmons remains so adamant about pursuing a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers that he won’t even hear out teammates who want him to change his mind.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, key 76ers players, including Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, and Matisse Thybulle, hoped to travel to Los Angeles and meet with Simmons this week. The 76ers players hoped to convince Simmons to commit to playing the season with Philadelphia.

However, the group was turned away before making the trip. Sources said Simmons rejected the meeting out of courtesy and did not want his teammates to make the effort to fly across the country when his mind cannot be changed.

Sources also said Simmons has already “mentally checked out” as a member of the 76ers, and even if he played for the team, it is unlikely they would receive an appropriate level of commitment and dedication.

This would seem to confirm reports that Embiid in particular still believes the Simmons situation is salvageable. It certainly looks as though he’s incorrect about that. Simmons has made up his mind and simply does not want to play for Philadelphia again. He’s even willing to face some significant consequences for not doing so.