Report: Ben Simmons 'Intent' on Never Playing for 76ers Again

At this point, the Philadelphia 76ers are just going to have to take whatever they can get for Ben Simmons.

The relationship between Simmons and the 76ers has reportedly become so toxic that the 25-year-old All-Star will not attend training camp and intends to never play another game for Philadelphia, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

ESPN Sources: Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons will not report for opening of training camp next week and intends to never play another game for the franchise. Simmons hasn’t spoken to team since a late August meeting when he communicated this message to Sixers officials.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 21, 2021

Simmons' name has been involved in trade rumors all summer following another disappointing playoff performance and this news should come as no surprise. Simmons had previously made it known he was unwilling to play in Philadelphia again but so far Daryl Morey's asking price has been far too high to actually facilitate a deal.

Now, it appears the 76ers have no choice. Simmons has backed the organization into a corner and Morey is going to have to make a deal, presumably without Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal on the table. So far the Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Golden State Warriors have been teams connected to Simmons. The Toronto Raptors were reportedly involved in trade discussions prior to the draft, but those have since cooled.

Morey's dream of a "Harden-esque" asking price is going to get hit by a reality check when he starts making phone calls again ahead of the start of the 2021-22 season.

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