NBA Rumors: The Ben Simmons-Sixers saga gets an interesting twist

The Philadelphia 76ers are coming off a rough offseason. Ben Simmons made the news on a daily basis, not because of his talents or improved shooting, but because of his desire to betraded away.

Simmons threatened to sit out the season even if that cost him his full salary. That threat didn’t hold up and he decided to join the team again as soon as the Sixers put some millions on an escrow account and fined him.

Even so, Simmons wasn’t mentally nor physically committed to the team, later citing that he was dealing with some personal stuff. Whether that’s true or not is not for us to debate, but the team got his back and allowed him to be on his own while he works his way back into game shape.

NBA News: Ben Simmons Could Play For The Sixers Pretty Soon

Now, after all the drama and the backs-and-forths, it seems like the former first-overall pick is pointing towards suiting up for the Sixers again, and it’s just a matter of time before he makes his season debut:

“There’s a sense around the league that the Sixers could try to play Simmons at some point during their six-game, road trip from Nov. 13 to Nov. 25, even though the team says there’s no timeable for his return,” reported Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“That trip has stops at the Indiana Pacers (Nov. 13), the Utah Jazz (Nov. 16), the Denver Nuggets (Nov. 18), the Portland Trail Blazers (Nov. 20), the Sacramento Kings (Nov. 22), and Golden State Warriors (Nov. 24),” the report added.

NBA Trade Rumors: Sixers Are Waiting On Damian Lillard Or Bradley Beal

However, that doesn’t mean that the Sixers have given up on their desire to part ways with the Australian guard. Apparently, they’re waiting for a top-notch player to express his desire to be traded to try and swoop in:

(Transcript viaMichael Scotto of HoopsHype)

“These are Joel Embiid’s prime years, so they can’t say they got draft picks for their second-best player,” another executive noted. “They’re holding out hope he’ll become happy again, or one of the guys like Bradley Beal or Damian Lillard becomes available.”

Daryl Morey himself said that this situation could take up to 4 years to be settled, so it’s not like a trade is imminent. Now, it’ll be interesting to see how the people of Philadelphia will respond and greet him on the court.