Ben Simmons has reportedly been on the trade block all offseason, but according to some, the Philadelphia 76ers would have been happy to keep him around.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Tim Bontemps, the 76ers were planning on keeping Simmons before he decided to hold out.
“The Sixers intended to tell Simmons they couldn’t find a deal for him and hoped to put aside differences and enter the season on the same page, sources said,” the pair wrote.
Now, reports say that Simmons will not be attending training camp when it starts at the end of the month.
Simmons is coming off a good season for Philadelphia that saw him make his third All-Star game in only four seasons in the NBA, averaging 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game. However, many blame the 76ers’ second-round exit from the NBA Playoffs last year on the poor offensive play of Simmons, leading to the months of rumors this offseason.
There’s reportedly a long list of teams interested in Simmons, including the Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers and more. Simmons also is reportedly only interested in moving to one of the teams located in California.
NBA training camp begins on Sept. 28, with preseason games following shortly after on Oct. 7.
