As the 2021-22 NBA season continues to roll on, the Philadelphia 76ers are still stuck trying to sort through the mess they created with Ben Simmons. It is easy to point the finger at Simmons and say that this is all his fault for basically abandoning the team in the offseason and while he definitely garnishes some of the blame, the 76ers really mishandled this whole situation from the time they lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals last season.
From the point when Doc Rivers said he was not sure if Ben Simmons could be a championship-level point guard for them to now, Philadelphia really has not made this situation better between them and Simmons, which has resulted in their All-Star sitting out and citing “mental health” for the reason he cannot play yet.
Ben Simmons wants to get paid and never play for the Philadelphia 76ers ever again, but the 76ers do not want to pay him for sitting out, as they have repeatedly fined him for missing practices/games this year.
This ongoing dilemma between player and team appears to have no end in sight, as the Philadelphia 76ers seem prepared to wait this thing out as long as they possibly can.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Source: 76ers Believe Ben Simmons Is The Key To Landing Damian Lillard
Ben Simmons is under contract through the 2024-25 season and while it is hard to believe that they will have him sit for numerous years as his contract expires, they may very well have to wait until the offseason to get a deal done unless an All-Star-level player around the league magically asks out of his current situation around the trade deadline.
Looking around the league at the possibility of this happening, only one player and team comes to mind and that is Brandon Ingram and the New Orleans Pelicans. Ingram has not said anything on whether or not he wants to stay in New Orleans long-term and while the Pelicans absolutely do not want to trade him, this team is currently 3-15.
Being 12 games back from a .500 record, the Pelicans have a lot of work to do just to get back to being in the middle-of-the-pack in the NBA, something that seems unreasonable to believe at this point given how they have looked.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Source: 76ers Believe Ben Simmons Is The Key To Landing Damian Lillard
Obviously Zion Williamson being out does not help the cause and when he returns sometime this season, he will give the Pelicans a boost, but it is hard to believe that this team is going to suddenly turn things around and make a playoff push. It is definitely possible, but given how they have played as a team this year, Zion coming back may only contribute to a few extra wins.
If Brandon Ingram decides that he wants out of New Orleans, we may finally see a deal get done involving Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers. Let’s take a look at what this trade would look like, especially since the Pelicans may not be the team Simmons will be traded to.
