Adrian Wojnarowski Has Thursday Update On Ben Simmons
After declining to participate in a drill during practice on Tuesday, Ben Simmons was suspended for the Philadelphia 76ers‘ opener, a 117-97 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. The team faces the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, and it doesn’t sound like the situation has progressed much at all in the last two days.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Simmons “arrived and departed” the team facility without going through a scheduled workout. The team did not practice today as a whole.
The 76ers didn’t seem to miss him much on Wednesday. Joel Embiid and Furkan Korkmaz both scored 22 points, while Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey added 20 each. The team cruised to a 20-point win.
Of course, the Brooklyn Nets are a different animal, even after a disappointing opener against the Milwaukee Bucks. The 76ers would seem to have a better chance with Simmons in the lineup, but there’s no guarantee that he’ll even show up and play if the team wants him to.
ESPN Sources: All-Star Ben Simmons arrived and departed the 76ers practice facility today without taking part in a scheduled individual workout. His status for Friday night's game vs. Brooklyn (ESPN, 7:30 PM) is unclear. As a team, the Sixers had no practice today.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 21, 2021
Simmons and the Sixers fell out after his brutal performance in Game 7 against the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. He’s made it clear that he wants a trade, but with how he played in the biggest game of his career, refusing to shoot or even take an open dunk under the basket, it has made it very difficult for Daryl Morey to find a deal.
The 76ers don’t want to give away an All-Star level player for nothing, but at a certain point, the situation could have an adverse impact on the team until he’s gone and the rest of the Sixers can move forward.
76ers-Nets tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday from the Wells Fargo Center. We’ll see if Ben Simmons decides to play ball, or if this passive-aggressive holdout will continue.
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