Ben Simmons hasn’t returned to the Rookie of the Year/All-Star levels from earlier in his career, but he’s playing quality defense while showing off his passing ability – averaging 6.5 assists per game on 9:10 this season in Brooklyn. His former team, the Philadelphia 76ers, is off to a terrible 3-14 start to the season.
Don’t mistake this for a “Simmons returns to Philly” meeting, but Simmons called Joel Embiid and tried to patch things up, reports ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne in a fantastic story on the 76ers’ slow start.
He even reached out to Embiid and others last summer, league sources said, in hopes of mending fences. Simmons, who is in the final year of his contract in Brooklyn, has shown how he can impact the game with his passing, length and defense. But he also missed the edge on a layup in the second quarter of Friday’s game in a clip that quickly went viral — reminding everyone how his time in Philadelphia turned out. Could they ever try to figure it out together again? One source called it unlikely, but stranger things have happened. Especially with the Sixers.
Stranger things have happened, but in the case of the 76ers, they would have to deal with fan backlash if they brought back Simmons, who wouldn’t be worth the price. It’s also not like the two were ever close, Simmons previously said they didn’t have much of a relationship even when he was in Philly.
Simmons will sign a new contract with an NBA team next season, but much closer to the league minimum than the $40 million per season he is making this year.
And it won’t be in Philly.