Source: Kevin C. Cox / Getty
After getting bounced from the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals, the Philadelphia 76ers had to face another disappointing early exit, and all fingers pointed to 6’10” point guard Ben Simmons.
Coach Doc Rivers waffled on whether Simmons was fit to play for a championship contender anymore, and 4x All-Star center Joel Embiid coyly labeled Simmons’ timidity as to why the No. 4 seeded Atlanta Hawks defeated the Sixers in a 7-game series.
So according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Simmons has informed team management he is over Philadelphia, does not plan to show up for training camp, and wants out.
Simmons’ shooting woes are not new, but it appeared the 2018 Rookie of the Year actually regressed when the team needed him the most. The Sixers reportedly shopped around to find if there were any suitors for him, but Simmons’ latest disappearing act made other teams uneager to trade.
At one point, the Golden State Warriors were open to discussions for the guard during the offseason, but the package proposed by Philly was so laughable that it turned Simmons into a lame duck and made his trade value worse.
Therefore, it seemed the Sixers would be stuck with Simmons and have to work out some kind of a truce before the start of the 2021-2022 season. However, Simmons allegedly stopped answering phone calls from the team (a claim his circle refutes) and hinted he will do whatever it takes to get away from “The City of Brotherly Love.”
The point guard is allegedly pushing for a move westward to any California team that is not the Sacramento Kings, to the extent that he purchased a $17.5 million Los Angeles mansion in June per Dirt.com. Furthermore, Simmons’ list of paramours suggest he has a taste for socialite living, and some of the names to which he’s been linked include Brittany Renner, Tinashe, and Kendall Jenner.
Joel “Troel” Embiid’s Twitter feed has recently been full of references to Simmons’ impending farewell as well, although not directly how most would think. The Cameroonian big man asked followers if they’d heard of any deals regarding popular soccer team Real Madrid. However, it’s the timing and wording of the tweet that has fans wondering if this was a subliminal shot taken by Embiid. Trades don’t really happen in soccer, and the center made the post on the same day as news of Simmons’ request.
Look at some of the fans’ replies to see if they heard about the news of any trades, too.
Twitter Roasts Ben Simmons After He Tells 76ers He Wants Out Of Philadelphia was originally published on cassiuslife.com
