The Philadelphia 76ers may be looking to part ways with all-star Ben Simmons this offseason “for the right price”. Rumors have been swirling for weeks now after the 76ers lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the 2021 NBA playoffs.
During that series, Simmons struggled in multiple games and some nights didn’t even reach 10 points. Against the Hawks, Ben averaged just 9 points per game and did not attempt a single shot in the fourth quarter of any of the last four games in the series.
“The Aussie undoubtedly has value as a defender and playmaker, but he may have forced the Sixers’ hand by being a detriment during the postseason.” according to Bleacher Report.
Ben Simmons’ future is up in the air
Failing to get past the second round was considered a huge disappointment for the 76ers. This was the team who had the best record in the Eastern Conference and Simmons could very well be the scapegoat for all their problems. The 76ers have made it very clear they are looking for an all-star caliber player in return for Simmons as he is a young player with lots of potential even if he does have some offensive issues. That being said the organization has stated that the interest in Simmons is league-wide with plenty of offers already on the table so the 76ers could possibly get the return they are hoping for from Simmons.
With that being said it is also very possible that no one will want to take his contract with the kind of player he has been lately. If a team were to trade for him and he underperforms the trade would be a bust. A trade for Ben Simmons is very high risk and high reward as we do not know if he is capable of making the breakthrough to become one of the best young players in the league.
Of course, these are all just rumors and could easily be false and a trade could never happen. But watching the way Simmons played in this year’s playoffs many fans would not be surprised if we see him on a different team in the near future, whether or not that is next year is unknown. However you look at it, it appears that Simmons’ future in a 76ers uniform may be in jeopardy.