The next chapter of the Ben Simmons-Philadelphia 76ers saga reportedly was written Friday morning.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, who cited sources on the matter, revealed Simmons met with his team, including head coach Doc Rivers and center Joel Embiid, “and accepted everyone needs to take responsibility, including (Simmons),” regarding the situation that has unfolded over the course of the last few months.
Charania also noted Simmons informed the 76ers that he is not “mentally ready” to play just yet.
Simmons has been unhappy in Philadelphia and was surrounded by trade rumors over the summer. The asking price for the guard was steep and the 76ers couldn’t find a suitor. Earlier this week Rivers reportedly threw Simmons out of practice and Embiid said he had no time to babysit his teammate.
The 25-year-old Simmons, according to Charania’s sources, was at 76ers’ shootaround Friday and “expressed he wants to play.”
What this means for Simmons’ future in Philadelphia remains to be seen. He will not play against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night, and there’s no timetable on when — or if — he will return to the court.
At the end of the day, both sides need to be on the same page should they want to repair the relationship.
