2020-21-22 Sixers Season

zambonir 2021-08-05 19:42:18 UTC #521

Headline isn't the real gossip here. Though I'm still not clear - how good a source is Dumas?

In a radio segment with 95.7 The Game in Philadelphia, Jason Dumas of Bleacher Report said the relationship between the Sixers and Simmons is "beyond repair" but the Klutch client does not want to go to Portland.

Dumas added Simmons has ignored calls from Joel Embiid and that all his communication will be through his agent, Rich Paul.

xogfog 2021-08-06 20:47:14 UTC #522

I think the ideal team for Simmons, since he wants to go out West is the Warriors. A three team deal that would work for everyone is:

Sixers send Simmons to the Warriors
Warriors send Wiseman, Wiggins and their 2023 first round pick to Trail Blazers
Sixers send Maxey and their 2022 first round pick to the Trail Blazers
Trail Blazers send Lillard to the Sixers

Dirk41 2021-08-31 19:53:00 UTC #523

https://twitter.com/PompeyOnSixers/status/1432785688982925323?s=19

And the Sixers leverage, if they had any, is going away.

zambonir 2021-08-31 19:55:00 UTC #524

Sometimes it seems like this only happens to Philadelphia teams. It's certainly happened to all four of them.

Squire 2021-08-31 19:57:18 UTC #525

I wish teams would call players bluff's on these things. But they never seem to. Sixers bent over seven different ways for this weaksauce clown.

VoteForKalas 2021-08-31 20:20:32 UTC #526

Could not have said it any better.

Dirk41 2021-08-31 20:24:52 UTC #527

It would just be unfortunate if Morey held these cards and Ben then demands a trade to a California team

zambonir 2021-08-31 20:47:43 UTC #528

Unfortunately failing to trade him to Houston and then Rivers and Joel speaking their mind in the heat of the moment really killed both his value and the dynamic (and is probably indicative of how they really felt after tip-toeing around it all series). But he was still good enough for the team to do what it did last year (and the probably would have beat Atlanta with a healthy Joel and Green anyway) and it's hard to see how this team's year can be, even if they get the best possible deal. More likely they move him for things that then get traded again at the deadline or next off-season. Still would have preferred for everyone to swallow their pride and wait for a mid-season or deadline trade. But that one I'll put on Ben now.

Players and agents have a lot of power and if he doesn't want to go to Portland or Minnesota or wherever he probably won't, but that could also just mean a three-team trade.

bigegypt0417 2021-08-31 21:30:19 UTC #529

It sounds like Klutch Sports is also asking that Maxey be traded as well...I don't really think that this gives Simmons more leverage...if the trade doesn't make the team better, let him rot and wait for the right deal.

Simmons will fold before the Sixers do.

Also...t doesn't seem, by the tone of his tweet, Joel Embiid is that concerned...LOL

Patchmk88 2021-08-31 22:57:25 UTC #530

Once Simmons is gone, the 76ers will be my 2nd favorite team.

zambonir 2021-08-31 23:10:18 UTC #531

I am concerned that the Sixers can't win a power struggle with Klutch Sports.

Dirk41 2021-08-31 23:27:23 UTC #532

Klutch is the most powerful entity in the League.

I'd send him to Toronto for Siakam. Hard to imagine they will do better.

bkox 2021-09-01 14:43:44 UTC #533

He says you all need to be better.....

I haven’t forgotten but 2 years ago, I got booed, people in Philly wanted me to be traded. I even shushed them. Only the real ones didn’t but I just put the work in that offseason to be better cuz I knew I wasn’t playing up to my potential. Philly fans, y’all also gotta be better
— Joel “Troel” Embiid ( @JoelEmbiid ) September 1, 2021

bigegypt0417 2021-09-01 16:14:23 UTC #534

Is he wrong?

bigegypt0417 2021-09-01 16:44:08 UTC #535

Really interesting read...

zambonir 2021-09-01 17:13:55 UTC #536

Joel trying to start the fence-mending.

The sad thing is there's really no good way to end this. The fans, even the ones who are generally a lot calmer than the WIP crowd, are mostly done with Ben to the point that they won't care if it's a bad deal. And it will be, unless the Sixers are really willing to go to the mat with him through training camp.

phillychuck 2021-09-01 17:21:06 UTC #537

Personally, I'd like to see them run it back. I think they'd be better, and some of the young guys (Maxey especially) might improve enough to make a large difference. I have no problem with Simmons--I'm sure he would have much preferred to make a lot more foul shots and win the series vs. the Hawks. I can't understand holding an athlete's legitimate failures against him as a fan.

bigegypt0417 2021-09-01 17:23:47 UTC #538

I've always been a supporter of Ben Simmons...his failures in the playoffs were less about his weaknesses and more about what looked like regression...he lacked in every area with the biggest issue being his complete lack of aggressiveness.

That said...Simmons and trading him would be the last possible way for this team to get better...a bad trade dooms this franchise going forward. Morey I would imagine understands that.

xogfog 2021-09-01 17:57:49 UTC #539

Ben put up one, just one shot in the 4th quarters of the last 4 Hawks games. Not one per game, one over 4 games. That's not lack of aggressiveness, that's a disappearing act.

zambonir 2021-09-01 17:59:36 UTC #540

The best thing for the Sixers, and possibly for Ben as well, would be to wait and see. It just depends whether Rich Paul is willing to work things out if he can't get what he wants (because the Sixers won't give it to him if it's a bad trade, and Paul can't make a better happen).

If not though, I don't see how the Sixers can go forward with Ben holding out, so the question is could everyone really smooth things over?