Report: Ben Simmons Ready To Sit Out Entire Season


How committed is Ben Simmons to his stance of never playing another game for the Philadelphia 76ers? According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, he's ready to sit out the entire 2021-22 season.

 “When you talk to people close to Ben, I say, ‘Okay, worst-case scenario it takes all year. Would he sit all year?’," asks Shelburne. "And the answer right now is: ‘Yes.’”

The Simmons camp says they are, indeed, perfectly content to wait, no matter how much salary he loses, or how many fines accrue. And yet, Shelburne still wonders...

"You can say that right now at the beginning of training camp... Let's see what happens when you really start missing checks, when you really start missing basketball, when the league moves on without you."

As reported by Kevin O'Connor in The Ringer, Simmons won't be happy until he's traded to a team "built around him on offense."

The problem right now, is that Simmons' value is at an all-time low. And the offers that Sixers GM Daryl Morey has been getting reflect that. Instead of the All-NBA star he wants in return, he's getting offered draft picks and players on expiring contracts, with the thought of the Sixers turning around and using those mid-season, or come the trade deadline, to get something that's more desirable for the "win-now" mindset in Philly.

This stalemate promises to loom large on the Sixers and the NBA season for some time, and many still wonder, "when will Adam Silver step in?". 

Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports