Patty Mills Sees High-Spirited and Hungry Ben Simmons on Nets

Ben Simmons believed he couldn't play another game with the Philadelphia 76ers following last year's playoff run. After Simmons had a disappointing series overall, including a dismal Game 7, the star guard wasted no time requesting a trade.

Simmons didn't get his wish right away. Despite being a three-time All-Star and a Defensive Player of the Year runner-up, Simmons didn't help the Sixers reel in offers that included another top-tier star in the offseason.

The Sixers hoped Simmons would eventually return after they realized the right offers simply weren't there, but the young veteran remained committed to his holdout.

Eventually, the Brooklyn Nets' slump helped Simmons and the Sixers out. With James Harden growing disgruntled in Brooklyn, the Nets came to their senses and realized it would be best if they swapped stars with Philadelphia.

The Nets sent James Harden and Paul Millsap to the Sixers. In exchange, they received Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and draft picks. Now, the Sixers have a star guard, who is willing to play for them.

Meanwhile, the Nets have a stellar shooting guard in Curry, a reliable veteran center in Drummond, and a star guard, who is no longer disgruntled and is reportedly in great spirits and motivated to be better than ever, according to Nets veteran, Patty Mills.

Patty Mills Offers the Latest on Simmons

"I see a real hunger-ness from him," Mills said after Wednesday's shootaround. "His demeanor and his desire not only to get back on the floor but make a significant impact -- he's got a lot of, I believe, fire built up underneath him that has a desire to get back and be the player that he is, and even get better, and even grow and even develop. And that's one thing that I'm excited to be in the same room and locker room as him to do my part to help him develop and help him grow and help in any way possible there. ...

"I think just his mojo, his energy," Mills said. "Being in this environment, being with us, spirits are high. I think he can feel the energy of the group and where we're at at the moment and where we're trying to be. So he just slides right in there right now -- obviously making him feel as welcome as we can be. It's exciting time for him, I'm sure, after some time off. But exciting for us to add the pieces to our puzzle of obviously achieving our goal."

via ESPN's Nick Friedell

Although Simmons has moved on from Philadelphia, he still hasn't made his 2021-2022 NBA season debut. While he remains off the court on game nights, Simmons is making real progress towards a return.

After being ruled out for over 50 games due to personal reasons, Simmons is officially ramping up to return. It'll probably take a couple of weeks before the three-time All-Star is in basketball shape once again, but soon enough, he'll make his Brooklyn debut. And perhaps in a few weeks, Simmons will return to South Philly to face the Sixers.

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