Ben Simmons Fully Intends To Skip 76ers Camp, Force Trade

Star guard/forward Ben Simmons has informed the 76ers he will not be reporting to training camp at the end of the month, as relayed by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

More precisely, Simmons has indicated he has played his last game for the franchise, Wojnarowski added.

This follows a report from a month ago by Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer that said Simmons met with Sixers head of basketball operations Daryl Morey and coach Doc Rivers, and made it clear he won’t report to camp.

Per Wojnarowski, Simmons knows he could be fined, suspended and lose salary if he should out of training camp, yet intends to do so anyway.

“Simmons appears willing to carry out a plan of forcing his way to a new team,” Wojnarowski wrote.

Multiple reports have suggested Simmons, agent Rich Paul and the 76ers have been agreeable to discuss his future moving forward and seek a possible trade.

That said, the 76ers’ asking price has been unreasonably high, reports suggest.

“Think about three months ago when the Sixers are willing to give up Ben Simmons. You are like, ‘Let’s see what we have to do to get him,’” a Western Conference executive said, via Pompey. “Now, the difference is Ben Simmons says he refuses to play for the Sixers. He wants to go to three California teams. There’s so much bad blood between him and the team.”

The executive added Philadelphia’s asking price will now have to come down — given that everyone knows Simmons is looking to move on.