76ers ‘assuming’ Simmons going to rejoin team
This much is known: Ben Simmons is back in Philadelphia. But there’s no clear sign yet the AllStar guard is set to rescind his trade request and actually play for the 76ers.
Even coach Doc Rivers — publicly, at least — says he’s unsure of the status of the trade demand, the latest wrinkle in the on-again-offagain relationship between Simmons and the 76ers.
“I don’t know. He’s voiced that, but we’ll see how that works out,” Rivers said Wednesday at practice.
A rescinded request seems improbable, though Rivers said Simmons “was great, he was good” when the two met on Tuesday, a day after the three-time AllStar surprised the franchise by showing up to its arena during a preseason game to take a COVID-19 test.
Rivers said Simmons was scheduled to return to the practice facility late Wednesday for an individual workout and will not practice with the team until he clears NBA health and safety protocols.
That is, if Simmons returns to play at all.
That’s still a big if for the 76ers, especially with one more preseason game Friday at Detroit before next week’s season opener at New Orleans. Much like Marshawn Lynch at a Super Bowl media day, Simmons may be here only so he won’t get fined. The 25-year-old from Australia has four years and $147 million left on his max contract — though the 76ers placed in escrow $8.25 million due to the guard, and fines for missing games and practices could be subtracted from that amount.
Rivers, who turned 60 on Wednesday, said he wanted Simmons to play.
“I’m assuming he’s going to play, but who knows? I can’t get in anyone’s head,” Rivers said.
Rivers said he hasn’t ruled out Simmons traveling with the team to Detroit.
“Whether we play him or not, that’s going to depend on what we see this week,” Rivers said. “He’s coming from behind, because he hasn’t been in camp, obviously. Having said that, do you rush him and put him on the floor? That’s a whole other subject. What we see this week is how we determine everything going forward.”
Simmons missed training camp and the preseason in the wake of his offseason trade demand that rankled some teammates, raised the wrath of fans and left many puzzled why he wants off last season’s No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
76ers President Daryl Morey and Rivers have been publicly optimistic since the start of training camp that Simmons would play again for the team.
Simmons, the No. 1 pick of the 2016 draft, had been paired with Joel Embiid as the franchise cornerstones as the 76ers chase their first NBA championship since 1983. He averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists over four seasons with the 76ers, who drafted him out of LSU, where he played only one season.
The 76ers downplayed potential issues in the locker room, should Simmons return. Starters Seth Curry and Danny Green both said Wednesday they had not talked to Simmons this week but would welcome him back.
“We want him back. We want him with us,” Green said. “When he’s in the building, we’ll acclimate him appropriately. We just want everybody to come here, show up and do their part, do their jobs.”
Grizzlies’ Brooks to miss start of season
Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard Dillon Brooks will miss the first few weeks of the season due to a fractured left hand.
The Grizzlies said Brooks will be re-evaluated in two-to-three weeks.
Brooks recently said he broke the hand in two places during an offseason practice.
Miscellany
• Fanbo Zeng, an NBA prospect from China, signed to play with the NBA G League Ignite. Fanbo, who is from Harbin, China, played two seasons at Windermere Prep in Florida but has been in China since March 2020, returning there amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As a sophomore in 2019-20, he averaged 15.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 2.1 assists and received Class 3A First Team All-State and Orlando Sentinel All-Area First Team honors. By choosing to sign with Ignite, he’ll be bypassing college. Ignite works to prepare top prospects for NBA careers while teaching them life skills at the same time.
• The Cleveland Cavaliers signed veteran forward Ed Davis. Terms were not disclosed.
• The New Orleans Pelicans exercised options on four former first-round draft choices, including star forward Zion Williamson, and added undrafted rookie guard John Petty Jr. to their roster. The Pelicans picked up fourth-year options on 2019 first-round draft choices Williamson, center Jaxson Hayes and guard Nickeil AlexanderWalker, keeping them under contract through next season. New Orleans also exercised a third-year option on 2020 top draft choice Kira Lewis Jr., keeping him under contract through the 2022-23 season.