Report: Ben Simmons Doesn't Plan to Return to Sixers Beyond Trade Deadline

The staredown between Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers continues as we're halfway through the 2021-2022 NBA season.

Back in the summer, many would've probably predicted that Simmons would be back on the court by now, whether it's with the Sixers or another team.

But more than halfway through January now, Simmons is neither traded nor ramping up action to get back out on the floor. 

In less than a month, the NBA trade deadline will set in, and teams won't be able to make any deals until the season concludes. 

While trade rumors have been heating up lately regarding Simmons, two things have become clear. One, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey doesn't plan to lower his asking price. And two, the Sixers currently aren't close to striking a blockbuster deal.

When it comes to the NBA trade market, you can never say never, but all signs continue to point towards the Sixers keeping Simmons through the trade deadline. While it seems there is a possibility that Simmons will return to the floor if he doesn't get moved next month -- the chances of him continuing his holdout are higher, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

An Update on Simmons' Plan

"He does want to move on, of course, and restart his life and his career, but he’s been going very diligently to do work with his therapist and I think the sense is, if it takes the entire season to trade him, if it takes all year for the Sixers to find a trade that is acceptable for them, he’s prepared for that. And it sounds unbelievable to think like a guy who is still getting fined for every game, for every practice, for every weightlifting session that he’s missing as of the January 15 paycheck that he got, there’s still heavy fines being laid on him every single time. He’s okay if it goes the whole season if that’s how it goes."

From the beginning, messages from Simmons' side made it apparent that the All-Star guard is willing to sit out the entire season if he remains a member of the Sixers roster.

For now, it seems that's not a bluff. Not only did Simmons skip out on training camp and the preseason, but he's remained off the floor for Philadelphia's first 43 games.

The Sixers' top priority for the remainder of the season when it comes to Simmons isn't trading him away. Instead, they reportedly prefer he returns to the floor to finish what he started with the franchise.

As we know, Simmons has little interest in making that happen. So, as the staredown continues, it seems the star guard isn't going to blink first as he remains committed to staying out of a Sixers uniform.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.