Not much has changed for Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers over the last few months. The Australian has not played a single minute this season and it doesn't look like he will as long as he doesn't get traded.
But the NBA trade deadline is drawing nearer and Simmons is still the biggest name on the market. Over the last few days, new teams have been linked with the Australian, although Philadelphia made clear they will only trade him for another superstar.
The Sixers don't look desperate at all to find Simmons a new home but if the right trade comes their way, they might let him leave. So, we can expect a lot of teams to make an effort to land him before February 10. But if Simmons does leave Philadelphia, how long it would take for him to be ready to play? Here's what Sam Amick of The Athletic had to say.
When would Ben Simmons be ready to play if Sixers trade him?
(Transcript via Clutchpoints)
"Accurate or not, this years-long pattern of Simmons struggling with confidence issues on the floor is seen by some interested teams as a separate matter from the mental-health struggles that he has cited as his reason for staying off it. In terms of Simmons’ eventual availability with a new team, the message has been sent that he would be ready to play after a few weeks of intensified conditioning and court action."
Even though Simmons might be the most attractive - but expensive - option on the market right now, it would be normal if suitors worry about the fact he's been off the basketball court for a long time.
Simmons' last NBA game came in the seventh game of the 2021-22 Eastern Conference Semifinals when the Atlanta Hawks knocked the Sixers out of the playoffs. And, as we all know, nothing has been the same for Simmons in Philadelphia since then.
