Joel Embiid Wants Simmons Back, But Won't Beg for His Return

Joel Embiid wasn't particularly pleased with the way Ben Simmons returned to the Philadelphia 76ers back in the fall. After the three-time All-Star skipped out on training camp, Simmons made a surprising return to the team prior to the second-to-last game of the preseason.

When he officially rejoined the team for practice after going through a series of COVID tests and solo workouts, Simmons got his primary point across. He did not want to be a member of the Sixers and he did everything in his power to show it.

Doc Rivers, Joel Embiid, and the Sixers made it seem as if everything was back to normal when Simmons showed up again. But that wasn't necessarily the case. The star guard was disengaged and deemed a distraction before eventually getting booted from practice, resulting in a one-game suspension.

Shortly after Simmons left the Sixers' practice facility, Embiid addressed a crowd of reporters that expected to speak with Simmons. To no surprise, the star center didn't mince words, as his frustration was clear.

A few nights later, Embiid changed his tune. Although it seemed like he was at a point of no return regarding his frustration with Simmons, the All-Star center urged Sixers fans to keep supporting their "brother" Ben Simmons just moments before tipping off for their home-opener at the Wells Fargo Center.

From that point on, the Sixers continued to show support for Simmons by mentioning they would be a better team if he returned to the floor to play with them. However, the team has made it clear they are still confident without him, though.

With the 2022 NBA trade deadline set to kick in on Thursday afternoon, Simmons and his camp hope to have their wish granted as a trade is still possible. The reality is it still remains unlikely Simmons gets moved this season, though. Will he return to play for the Sixers if a trade doesn't happen? Only time will tell.

Embiid hopes that's the case, but he doesn't seem to be holding his breath or begging for his fellow All-Star to offer him some help.

Embiid Gets Brutally Honest... Again

"Whoever wants to play is welcome," said Joel Embiid after Tuesday night's loss to the Phoenix Suns. "If someone wants to play, they're welcome. But we've got guys here that want to be here, that show up every single night. Like I said, I don't know what other type of word I can use, but I get paid to bring results and win games."

Earlier this year, Embiid mentioned that it's not in his job description to essentially "babysit" Ben Simmons during practice. While he didn't name-drop the three-time All-Star, he was clear by what he meant on Tuesday night.

"I don't get paid to, you know, babysit Tyrese (Maxey)," Embiid continued. "I get paid to challenge him to try to help me win games. I get paid to do the same thing to Tobias (Harris) and all the other guys and they respond to it every single time. Just like the same way they challenge me, they know that it's never personal. I always go at them, and they always come back at me, because we all got the same goal: we want to win."

If Simmons isn't moved by Thursday's deadline, will Embiid do his best to try and convince the star guard to make his return? "Nah," the star center finished. "I'm just worried about the guys that are here. If you're here, I'm gonna challenge you and we're gonna challenge each other to be better and try to win a championship."

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