The Sixers continue to have a high asking price for Ben Simmons and according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Simmons’ camp is well aware.
“There are teams that are interested in Ben Simmons, they just don’t want to pay the steep price. Ben Simmons know that, so they are saying why should we help the 76ers out, when they feel like when Doc Rivers said what he said, nobody apologized, and Doc was never reprimanded,’ Pompey said on 97.5 The Fanatic on Monday.
There were reported earlier in the summer that the relationship between Simmons and Rivers was on rocky ground with some around the league calling it “irreparable.”
The Sixers have maintained that the two sides can come together, however.
Simmons had a meeting with Rivers, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, general manager Elton Brand and team owner Josh Harris in Los Angeles recently. The 25-year-old is seemingly still upset over Rivers’ comments about whether or not Simmons could be a championship point guard.
Simmons is reportedly willing to miss training camp as a way to create leverage and force a trade. The former No. 1 overall pick has four years left on his contract and perhaps if he were willing to try to make things work for at least part of the season, he may end up in a more favorable spot via trade, though it’s unclear exactly what the market is for his services right now.
