Ben Simmons Not Expected To Be Traded Until Mid-December At Earliest

[RealGM Wiretap]

If the Philadelphia 76ers are to trade Ben Simmons, no deal is expected before mid-December. On December 15, the vast majority of players who signed contracts at free agents over the offseason will become trade-eligible. At that point, the pool of available options will increase substantially for Daryl Morey.

Simmons has now returned to the Sixers, but isn't expected to play for some time. In a conversation with players and coaches, Simmons said he's not ready to play or fully practice yet. Simmons is working on his mental health, in addition to dealing with some back soreness.

Almost to a man, Simmons' teammates have supported him in his return. All have pledged to give him space and to support him as he works his way back. Despite his return to the team, Simmons has not moved off his trade request.

Via Marc Stein/Substack

[ShazamDaShiznt]

So can we stop with Ben Simmons news until December then? For a guy who's not playing games right now there are far too many news.

[RedSalsa]

They better not being paying the wuss. Faking mental illness is beyond despicable for those people that really have it.

[Dennis 37]

What team benefits from acquiring a player, at his salary, who may not be fixable? The man has to go and work out for teams to show that during this time off he is actually working to improve his shot.

If I was a GM willing to risk acquiring him, I would ask that he re-write his contract. It would state that he attempts the number of shots per game his coach requires of him, or he is not paid for the game. The only way he will become a better shooter is if he shoots. It matters not if he goes 0 for 10. In a month he might go 2 for 10, then in a year 4 for 10. He's not worth his contract if he won't shoot.

[mg]

That is common sense since alot of players can't be traded until December or even January. With that said if Simmons does have any type of mental issues he really shouldn't be traded until he gets some sort of treatment tbh.

[K3nny Pow3rs]

They better not being paying the wuss. Faking mental illness is beyond despicable for those people that really have it.

Simmons is a lot more qualified for mental illness than most people, considering the drama being inflicted on him by his sister, and the constant bashing he's received from the media and social media for not attempting shots....

[HotelVitale]

They better not being paying the wuss. Faking mental illness is beyond despicable for those people that really have it.

Simmons is a lot more qualified for mental illness than most people, considering the drama being inflicted on him by his sister, and the constant bashing he's received from the media and social media for not attempting shots....

I haven't been able to sympathize with Ben that much in this situation but I agree and definitely see how the vicious round-the-clock media attacks could've created or exacerbated mental health issues. He's never seemed to have a particularly assertive sense of self, don't want to armchair speculate but he's always been kind of quiet and passive and having a boatload of negative attention dumped on you after a tough series could definitely force you into some kind of mental health crisis.

Either way, he's clearly not mentally prepared to jump into public competition so I'd support him taking mental health leave, as long as it seems like he's actually trying to work towards a return.

[Temuhjan]

I am sure Philly is happy to buy him out on a $1 token sum. That way Little Benny will be free to rest as long as he wants and latch onto any team he so choose when he gets better.

In fact, he can even return to Australia and take a long break. There will be little media attention and he might even be able to fix his shot and reinvent himself.

All he needs to do is ask for it and sign on the dotted line.

[oaktownwarriors87]

They better not being paying the wuss. Faking mental illness is beyond despicable for those people that really have it.

Does that make you despicable if he really does have a mental illness?

[Heat3]

Nobody wants this unskilled, overpaid, team cancer.

[tigerae]

Nobody wants this unskilled, overpaid, team cancer.

Correction, no one wants to pay the ridiculous price Morey wants for him. Come December, no one will pay that rice either. No matter how many times Morey may have wet dreams of pairing Lillard with Embiid, it just won't happen. Teams like the Kings and Timberwolves have offered packages, Morey just thinks somehow he's going to get a superstar in return. It just won't happen.

Simmons has improved each of his first 3 seasons in different areas of his game. Once Morey and Doc came along that all changed. To me, those two seem to be the problem and once they either get rid of them or they finally trade him to a team willing to support their young player then he can actually continue to improve.

He needs a great shooting coach, for example Ray Allen, who can team work with him day in and day out. That's up to the organization to help make it happen.

[alienpick]

Nobody wants this unskilled, overpaid, team cancer.

Correction, no one wants to pay the ridiculous price Morey wants for him. Come December, no one will pay that rice either. No matter how many times Morey may have wet dreams of pairing Lillard with Embiid, it just won't happen. Teams like the Kings and Timberwolves have offered packages, Morey just thinks somehow he's going to get a superstar in return. It just won't happen.

Simmons has improved each of his first 3 seasons in different areas of his game. Once Morey and Doc came along that all changed. To me, those two seem to be the problem and once they either get rid of them or they finally trade him to a team willing to support their young player then he can actually continue to improve.

He needs a great shooting coach, for example Ray Allen, who can team work with him day in and day out. That's up to the organization to help make it happen.

That would be a HUGE waste of Ray Allen's time. Simmons is a lazy child. If he had the drive to improve his shot he would have done it by now.

[alienpick]

They better not being paying the wuss. Faking mental illness is beyond despicable for those people that really have it.

Simmons is a lot more qualified for mental illness than most people, considering the drama being inflicted on him by his sister, and the constant bashing he's received from the media and social media for not attempting shots....

I haven't been able to sympathize with Ben that much in this situation but I agree and definitely see how the vicious round-the-clock media attacks could've created or exacerbated mental health issues. He's never seemed to have a particularly assertive sense of self, don't want to armchair speculate but he's always been kind of quiet and passive and having a boatload of negative attention dumped on you after a tough series could definitely force you into some kind of mental health crisis.

Either way, he's clearly not mentally prepared to jump into public competition so I'd support him taking mental health leave, as long as it seems like he's actually trying to work towards a return.

Part of being a professional athlete is taking public criticism when you perform poorly. It comes hand in hand with the public adulation when you perform well. If you can't do the job then quit. He clearly doesn't have what it takes; He can't take criticism and doesn't work on his game.

[tigerae]

Nobody wants this unskilled, overpaid, team cancer.

Correction, no one wants to pay the ridiculous price Morey wants for him. Come December, no one will pay that rice either. No matter how many times Morey may have wet dreams of pairing Lillard with Embiid, it just won't happen. Teams like the Kings and Timberwolves have offered packages, Morey just thinks somehow he's going to get a superstar in return. It just won't happen.

Simmons has improved each of his first 3 seasons in different areas of his game. Once Morey and Doc came along that all changed. To me, those two seem to be the problem and once they either get rid of them or they finally trade him to a team willing to support their young player then he can actually continue to improve.

He needs a great shooting coach, for example Ray Allen, who can team work with him day in and day out. That's up to the organization to help make it happen.

That would be a HUGE waste of Ray Allen's time. Simmons is a lazy child. If he had the drive to improve his shot he would have done it by now.

If everyone thought that way a lot of great players in the NBA would have been out after a few seasons. I won't bring in MJ's dismal 3pt shooting early in his career because it was a totally different game then. A couple more recent examples are DWade and Rondo. Wade went down to 17% from 3s his third season after shooting close to 30% his first two seasons and was never a great 3pt shooter his entire career.

Rondo shot 21% from 3s his third season and was about 24% from 3s the following 3 seasons. He was terrible from the ft line as well. But he had the big 3 around him to encourage him and let him play his game. It hasn't been until the last couple seasons that he started shooting around 40% from 3s and struggled from free throws basically his entire career.

Giannis is another good example. He was terrible the first few seasons from the 3pt line and even now is shooting around 30%.

The problem is a lot of people think the 3pt shot is the only way to play these days. Simmons is very well rounded, can rebound, playmake at a high level and plays very good defense. He has even improved his 3pt % from year to year, going up to 30% last season. A great coach would be able to use his strengths and not force him to become a different player to fit his system. Doc just isn't that, period. Public criticism from the media is one thing, but not the entire organization from top to bottom while being shopped around non-stop. GM, coach and players. Did that happen with Wade, Rondo or Giannis?

He is only 25 and has been in the league for 4 years. He has a long career ahead of him and needs a team that supports him and is able to help him grow, on and off the court. Some people need tough love while others need to be coddled. This is the case in every aspect of life and it just seems to me the Sixers organization just isn't helping Ben anymore.

[Kent]

Correction, no one wants to pay the ridiculous price Morey wants for him. Come December, no one will pay that rice either. No matter how many times Morey may have wet dreams of pairing Lillard with Embiid, it just won't happen. Teams like the Kings and Timberwolves have offered packages, Morey just thinks somehow he's going to get a superstar in return. It just won't happen.

Simmons has improved each of his first 3 seasons in different areas of his game. Once Morey and Doc came along that all changed. To me, those two seem to be the problem and once they either get rid of them or they finally trade him to a team willing to support their young player then he can actually continue to improve.

He needs a great shooting coach, for example Ray Allen, who can team work with him day in and day out. That's up to the organization to help make it happen.

That would be a HUGE waste of Ray Allen's time. Simmons is a lazy child. If he had the drive to improve his shot he would have done it by now.

If everyone thought that way a lot of great players in the NBA would have been out after a few seasons. I won't bring in MJ's dismal 3pt shooting early in his career because it was a totally different game then. A couple more recent examples are DWade and Rondo. Wade went down to 17% from 3s his third season after shooting close to 30% his first two seasons and was never a great 3pt shooter his entire career.

Rondo shot 21% from 3s his third season and was about 24% from 3s the following 3 seasons. He was terrible from the ft line as well. But he had the big 3 around him to encourage him and let him play his game. It hasn't been until the last couple seasons that he started shooting around 40% from 3s and struggled from free throws basically his entire career.

Giannis is another good example. He was terrible the first few seasons from the 3pt line and even now is shooting around 30%.

The problem is a lot of people think the 3pt shot is the only way to play these days. Simmons is very well rounded, can rebound, playmake at a high level and plays very good defense. He has even improved his 3pt % from year to year, going up to 30% last season. A great coach would be able to use his strengths and not force him to become a different player to fit his system. Doc just isn't that, period. Public criticism from the media is one thing, but not the entire organization from top to bottom while being shopped around non-stop. GM, coach and players. Did that happen with Wade, Rondo or Giannis?

He is only 25 and has been in the league for 4 years. He has a long career ahead of him and needs a team that supports him and is able to help him grow, on and off the court. Some people need tough love while others need to be coddled. This is the case in every aspect of life and it just seems to me the Sixers organization just isn't helping Ben anymore.

Yeah but he's unwilling to make a layup when the moment and team needs it.

[Pickled Prunes]

Correction, no one wants to pay the ridiculous price Morey wants for him. Come December, no one will pay that rice either. No matter how many times Morey may have wet dreams of pairing Lillard with Embiid, it just won't happen. Teams like the Kings and Timberwolves have offered packages, Morey just thinks somehow he's going to get a superstar in return. It just won't happen.

Simmons has improved each of his first 3 seasons in different areas of his game. Once Morey and Doc came along that all changed. To me, those two seem to be the problem and once they either get rid of them or they finally trade him to a team willing to support their young player then he can actually continue to improve.

He needs a great shooting coach, for example Ray Allen, who can team work with him day in and day out. That's up to the organization to help make it happen.

That would be a HUGE waste of Ray Allen's time. Simmons is a lazy child. If he had the drive to improve his shot he would have done it by now.

If everyone thought that way a lot of great players in the NBA would have been out after a few seasons. I won't bring in MJ's dismal 3pt shooting early in his career because it was a totally different game then. A couple more recent examples are DWade and Rondo. Wade went down to 17% from 3s his third season after shooting close to 30% his first two seasons and was never a great 3pt shooter his entire career.

Rondo shot 21% from 3s his third season and was about 24% from 3s the following 3 seasons. He was terrible from the ft line as well. But he had the big 3 around him to encourage him and let him play his game. It hasn't been until the last couple seasons that he started shooting around 40% from 3s and struggled from free throws basically his entire career.

Giannis is another good example. He was terrible the first few seasons from the 3pt line and even now is shooting around 30%.

The problem is a lot of people think the 3pt shot is the only way to play these days. Simmons is very well rounded, can rebound, playmake at a high level and plays very good defense. He has even improved his 3pt % from year to year, going up to 30% last season. A great coach would be able to use his strengths and not force him to become a different player to fit his system. Doc just isn't that, period. Public criticism from the media is one thing, but not the entire organization from top to bottom while being shopped around non-stop. GM, coach and players. Did that happen with Wade, Rondo or Giannis?

He is only 25 and has been in the league for 4 years. He has a long career ahead of him and needs a team that supports him and is able to help him grow, on and off the court. Some people need tough love while others need to be coddled. This is the case in every aspect of life and it just seems to me the Sixers organization just isn't helping Ben anymore.

Simmons does not need to be a volume 3pt shooter. He may never be good at it. Wade was never good and really didn't show much improvement until his athleticism was waning. But his willingness to shoot them if left open kept defenses honest. He only shot about 1 per game for most of his career. I don't think Rondo really worked on his shot or FT's until the DAL debacle. It was a humbling experience.

Right now Simmons can't hold the ball. Defenses can back way off him and if he takes two steps in they send him to the line. His best offense comes in the open court or in making a quick second pass. If he could get up near 30% and was willing to take 1-2 per game it would open some stuff up for him. It's more important that he get a 10-15 footer. Simmons shot under 40% outside 5 ft. last season; under 30% from 10-14 ft. He only took 15 shots from 15 ft or more. If he was willing and able to step into a 16 footer he would be far more dangerous.

[HotelVitale]

Simmons is a lot more qualified for mental illness than most people, considering the drama being inflicted on him by his sister, and the constant bashing he's received from the media and social media for not attempting shots....

I haven't been able to sympathize with Ben that much in this situation but I agree and definitely see how the vicious round-the-clock media attacks could've created or exacerbated mental health issues. He's never seemed to have a particularly assertive sense of self, don't want to armchair speculate but he's always been kind of quiet and passive and having a boatload of negative attention dumped on you after a tough series could definitely force you into some kind of mental health crisis.

Either way, he's clearly not mentally prepared to jump into public competition so I'd support him taking mental health leave, as long as it seems like he's actually trying to work towards a return.

Part of being a professional athlete is taking public criticism when you perform poorly. It comes hand in hand with the public adulation when you perform well. He can't take criticism and doesn't work on his game.

Ideally, sure. But lots of people don't act according to ideal social norms. Simmons is a good player and he also has some other stuff getting in his way, but every team in the league would want him to play for them even with his faults, and even though he's a frustrating personality he's not going to just quit. Real world is messier than straightforward social norms and it's part of being an adult to be real about that.

[dougthonus]

What team benefits from acquiring a player, at his salary, who may not be fixable? The man has to go and work out for teams to show that during this time off he is actually working to improve his shot.

If I was a GM willing to risk acquiring him, I would ask that he re-write his contract. It would state that he attempts the number of shots per game his coach requires of him, or he is not paid for the game. The only way he will become a better shooter is if he shoots. It matters not if he goes 0 for 10. In a month he might go 2 for 10, then in a year 4 for 10. He's not worth his contract if he won't shoot.

Just FYI, the amount of incentives you can put in a contract as part of its total value is pretty limited, I think it's like 10% of the value. You also can't word things vaguely like "as many shots as coach requires", you'd have to put in incentives for specific attempts per game.

Beyond that, Simmons already has a fully guaranteed max deal. He's not going to rewrite it to be incentive laden. Teams will take him as is.

[dougthonus]

I am sure Philly is happy to buy him out on a $1 token sum. That way Little Benny will be free to rest as long as he wants and latch onto any team he so choose when he gets better.

I doubt very much that is true. I think Philly would rather trade him for role players than have him just exit his contract even if Simmons agreed to do so.

[dougthonus]

Part of being a professional athlete is taking public criticism when you perform poorly. It comes hand in hand with the public adulation when you perform well. If you can't do the job then quit. He clearly doesn't have what it takes; He can't take criticism and doesn't work on his game.

It's up for Ben to decide if he wants to play. It's up for someone else to decide if they want to pay him and how much. It seems like he's trying to work his way back to playing now. I'm glad he's not my team's problem though.