Sources: Ben Simmons Has A Stern Warning For the Sixers

As Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers continue to tell anyone who'll listen that they're willing to wait out the Ben Simmons affair until the offseason, Simmons himself has reportedly warned that if he's not traded by the Feb. 10th deadline, he will indeed continue to sit out the rest of the season.

Sources close to Ben Simmons continue to insist that he’ll sit out the entire season if a deal isn’t done by the deadline.@sam_amick, @davidaldridgedc and @johnhollinger discuss the potential scenarios.

More: https://t.co/YjR5R6tdnL pic.twitter.com/7UGXeS7cDi

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) January 19, 2022

Sam Amick of The Athletic writes, "make no mistake, sources close to Simmons continue to insist that he’ll sit out the entire season if a deal isn’t done by the deadline."

And while Joel Embiid continues to tow the party line, claiming "there's no urgency" to do anything now, many are questioning whether he truly wants to waste the season without any return for his former running mate. And according to Hall of Fame writer David Aldridge, he might not be the only one in the Sixers organization who feels that way. 

"If you think Embiid’s the only person in Philly who needs to be assuaged, you’d be wrong," writes Aldridge. "There’s a coaching staff going out there every night without Simmons’ 16 points, eight rebounds and seven dimes. No matter what they think of Simmons personally, or whether they want him to shoot in the playoffs, they sure would like the impasse to get resolved."

Many feel the Eastern Conference seems to be there for the taking, and that the Sixers can't afford to be without Simmons—or any return for him—in the playoffs, with Embiid playing at an all-world level.

Seems like a resolution to the Simmons saga just could be coming before Feb. 10th, after all.

Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports