How does an All-NBA talent go from being the face of a franchise to never showing his face in the city again? For Ben Simmons, the answer is a messy mix of ego and diffidence. For the Philadelphia 76ers, it’s a matter of finding the right time to move on. After a tumultuous playoff loss, Ben Simmons wants out. 76ers President Daryl Morey says not so fast. Simmons won’t play for Philly, and Philly won’t trade Simmons. Here’s how we got to the epic standoff that could drastically shift the power dynamics of the NBA.
THE CURIOUS CASE OF SIMMONS V. PHILADELPHIA
The 76ers selected Ben Simmons out of LSU with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. The 6’10 Aussie was lauded as a rare specimen – a naturally athletic point guard in a dominating forward’s body. The phrase “can’t miss prospect” is thrown around heinously in the media, and Simmons was no exception. The only questions around Ben’s game were matters of effort – would he bring the intensity on the defensive end? Would he work to improve his outside shooting? “He could still develop into an incredibly unique mismatch in the NBA, particularly if he shows a willingness and openness to address his flaws,” wrote Jonathan Givony in a pre-draft scouting report for Draft Express. Pay close attention to Givony’s choice of words, “a willingness and openness.”
For Philadelphia, the opportunity to secure a potentially generational talent was enough. Simmons missed one season with a foot injury before taking the league by storm in 2017. He averaged 15.8 points, 8.2 assists, and 8.1 rebounds en route to winning Rookie of the Year. In the following season, Simmons is named to his first of three consecutive All-Star games, asserting his presence as an elite defender in the NBA. Simmons and Joel “The Process” Embiid led Philly to the playoffs for the first time in five years. In the summer of 2019, he signed a 5 year, $167 million max contract extension with the 76ers.
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The 76ers would make the playoffs from 2018-2020, though they struggled to get past the second round. Simmons and Embiid seemed committed to the process together. A rotating cast of “third options” including Jimmy Butler, Al Horford, and Tobias Harris were brought in over the years with the hopes of pushing Philly over the hump, to no avail.
Let’s fast forward to the 2021 playoffs. After being swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the Bubble Playoffs in 2020 without Simmons, Philly claimed the best record in the Eastern Conference. With injuries plaguing the Brooklyn Nets and skepticism hampering the Milwaukee Bucks, this was Philly’s moment. The 76ers felt like a legitimate threat to win the NBA title. They dismantled the Washington Wizards in five games in the first round. But what happened next will forever live in infamy in Philadelphia sports history.
FROM ALL-STAR TO LIABILITY (or, A Tale of Two Types of Stars)
Enter Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. With speed, athleticism, and potent outside shooting, the youthful Hawks are the epitome of the modern NBA. Young’s villainous presence in Madison Square Garden against the Knicks gave the Hawks a fiery leader. In moments perceived as stressful or frightening, humans undergo an automatic physiological reaction – fight or flight. Athletes are no different, and there’s nothing more stressful or frightening than the two most exciting words in sports, “Game 7.”
Now, it’s important to mention that up to this moment, there were no rumblings of Simmons’ unhappiness in Philadelphia. The organization had repeatedly reconstructed the roster and coaching staff around the needs of Simmons and Embiid. In the regular season, Embiid averaged 28.5 points and 10.6 rebounds, landing him in the MVP conversation. Meanwhile, Simmons regressed from his rookie year to 14.3 points, 6.9 assists, and 7.2 rebounds.
Players, coaches, and fans around the NBA had growing concerns regarding Simmons’ inability to shoot for years. He only attempted 34 three-pointers combined in his first four seasons, shooting an abysmal 14%. Simmons maintained the position that shooting from outside was simply not a part of his game. Remember the concerns of Jonathan Givony, “a willingness and openness to address his flaws.” Ben had neither.
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However, this isn’t entirely about Ben’s technical ability. Shooting requires exceptional skill, but it also takes great confidence. Having the audacity to pull up and shoot from half-court is reserved exclusively for poised talents like Steph Curry and Dame Lillard. Trae Young shot a meager 22% in Game 7 on 5-23 shooting. Ben Simmons shot 50%, netting 2 of 4 attempts. Neither was sinking shots like vintage Kobe that night, but the difference is Young never stopped shooting.
This isn’t a comparison between the play styles of Ben Simmons and Trae Young. Rather, it’s a testament to mentality. When faced with berating Knick fans deep in opposing territory, Trae Young gestured his arms up, demanding the boos grow louder. Trae Young is the fight response. When the 76ers were down by two points with 3:32 to go in Game 7, Ben Simmons had a wide open dunk opportunity that would’ve tied the game. Instead, he passed the ball to Matisse Thybulle. Ben Simmons is the flight response.
SIMMONS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
“He is scared to shoot,” agreed Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA. The 76ers were eliminated by the Hawks, and all fingers pointed sternly towards Ben Simmons. He attempted a total of three shots in the fourth quarter over the seven games against the Hawks. From the free throw line, Simmons shot 34% in the playoffs, a far cry from his career 59% mark. Remember, NBA heads were worried about Simmons’ inability to shoot for years, but this time it was different. When all eyes were on him, Ben Simmons shrunk. His performance against the Atlanta Hawks put the spotlight on all the flaws in his game.
The situation was made worse by head coach Doc Rivers’ postgame comments. When asked whether Ben Simmons can be the point guard on a championship team, Rivers said frankly “I don’t know the answer to that question right now.” This is the moment where the irreversible damage had been done. Any head coach should know to never throw one of their players under the bus, let alone one of the faces of the franchise. We might be in an entirely different situation had Rivers answered “Yes he can, but it’s gonna take some work.”
CHECKING OUT (or, The Offseason to Take Off a Season)
This is the part of the story where tension takes over. Petulance and egos collide in a spectacle of NBA drama. On August 31st, Simmons told the Sixers he no longer wants to play in Philadelphia, thereby submitting a formal trade request. NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Simmons has “mentally checked out as a member of the 76ers.” Simmons has broken all lines of communication with his teammates and coaching staff. When 76ers players tried to jet to Los Angeles to meet with Simmons, they were informed not to come.
Now, you’re probably thinking “Dom wouldn’t a trade solve this entire issue?” And you’re correct, a Ben Simmons trade will lower the boil on all this drama immensely. Thankfully, for those of us eating up this NBA gossip, it isn’t that easy.
Enter Daryl Morey, the cutthroat business shark running the Philadelphia 76ers. Morey has made a name for himself as one of the most outspoken and hardheaded executives in the league. He accelerated the analytics-driven three-point revolution in the NBA, made controversial remarks about China, and traded Chris Paul days after telling CP3 he wouldn’t be traded. Morey has garnered a reputation of treating players like assets rather than people – and he won’t budge on Simmons’ value. Morey has a high asking price for the defensive wunderkind, one that other teams aren’t willing to pay for a guy who lacks confidence and drive. Nobody pays the fight price for a flight player.
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On September 21st, Simmons announced he wouldn’t report to 76ers training camp. He maintains that he’ll never suit up for Philly again. Training camp began on September 27th with the annual NBA Media Day. Expectedly, Simmons was the hot topic. Joel Embiid described the situation as “weird, disappointing, borderline kind of disrespectful” to the rest of the team. While this is going on, reports emerge that Ben wants to be traded to a team where he will be the number one option on offense, surrounded by shooters. Embiid responded to this subtle dig with a message of frustration and fatigue.
“Our teams have always been built around his needs. So it’s just kind of surprising to see. Even going back to the reason we signed Al [Horford], we got rid of Jimmy [Butler] – which I still think was a mistake – just to make sure he needed the ball in his hands.”
On October 1st, the 76ers opted to withhold 25% of Ben Simmons’ salary ($8.25 million) amidst the holdout. They intend to use the money to pay Ben’s fines for missing training camp, practices, and regular season games. This is Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers’ declaration of war.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW (or, Life in the Bunker)
Ben Simmons is adamant about never showing his face again at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Daryl Morey refuses to trade Simmons without a lofty haul in return. Thus, an unparalleled stalemate with no clear end in sight.
Simmons has 4 years, $147 million left on his max contract. If he does manage to force his way out of Philly, the move will be unprecedented. While there have been plenty of trade demands from superstars throughout the league before, nobody has done it with as many years under contract as Simmons. James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis each had two years remaining on their contracts when they demanded trades. If the organization suspends Simmons, he’ll lose $227,000 per game for the first 20 games. After that, he’ll forgo $300,000 per game. But he doesn’t care. Simmons has stated that losing money doesn’t concern him and he’s prepared to sit out the entire season. Nobody has made this kind of power play before.
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So how does this end? Ben Simmons appears in it for the long haul. Daryl Morey is matching his stubbornness all the way. The relationship has run its course, though Philadelphia now holds all the leverage. They don’t have to pay Simmons, and the longer he holds out, the more money he loses. Realistically, the 76ers can hold their ground and let Simmons sit at home for the next four years. The Simmons Stalemate ends when Ben is traded, or when he decides he wants to stop losing money. If Ben Simmons wins, it’ll create an entirely new dynamic of player empowerment within the NBA.
Let us know your thoughts on The Simmons Stalemate in the comments section below. How do you think it’ll come to an end? Lastly, for more sports news from wavypack, NFL Reveals Stacked Lineup for Super Bowl Halftime Show.
