Ben Simmons Posts on Instagram Story as Trade Rumors Spread

Ben Simmons has been the talk of the NBA ever since the Sixers dropped Game 7 against the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the playoffs. As Simmons wrapped up a rough series, which contributed to the tough loss, the trade rumors started spreading almost immediately.

At first, it was all assumptions. After Simmons and representatives met with core members of the Sixers' organization throughout the offseason, the rumors about a potential breakup between the three-time All-Star and the Sixers became a real scenario as Daryl Morey was officially open for business regarding a potential Simmons trade.

As Morey's price tag on Simmons remained high throughout the offseason, the Sixers struggled to make any real progress in trade talks. With training camp set to arrive less than a month from now, the league-wide assumption became that Simmons would likely start preparing for next season as a member of the Sixers.

Many rumors hinted Simmons could be a holdout candidate when training camp arrives. On Tuesday afternoon, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Simmons officially notified the Sixers to let them know he would not be attending camp in late September and would like to be traded.

As expected, the latest rumors caused an uproar on social media on Tuesday. Considering many have paid close attention to the Simmons situation all offseason long, NBA fans began reacting to the latest update within minutes of the report being published online.

Ben Simmons' Instagram Story

Whether Simmons saw it or not is unclear, but the three-time All-Star did make a post on Instagram as the rumors are spreading like wildfire. 

The veteran guard posted a picture of an empty gym on his Instagram story on Tuesday night. With no context involved, it's easy to assume Simmons was either gearing up for a workout or just finished one.

All offseason long, Simmons has been getting some work in out in Los Angeles. While his personal trainer Chris Johnson is typically the one posting that Simmons is in the gym working, the veteran guard was the one who notified his followers that he was in the gym on Tuesday.

The post itself doesn't reveal anything we didn't already know. However, the timing of the post is interesting since many Simmons-related rumors are currently making their rounds on social media. Perhaps, this is Simmons' way of letting everybody know he's active online and sees what's being said.

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