After declaring that he would never play for the Philadelphia 76ers again, estranged forward Ben Simmons is now in negotiations to return to the team prior to the start of the season.
Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, the agent who reps LeBron James, has been in talks with the Sixers coach Doc Rivers and ownership regarding Simmons over the past weekend, according to ESPN.
Apparently, the ice has thawed somewhat between the Sixers and Simmons who took the brunt of the criticisms after the favored team flamed out in the playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks.
Currently, Simmons stands to lose $33 million on his $147 million contract if he sits out the season as he had promised following the 2020-21 season. But his teammates, including last year’s MVP candidate Joel Embiid, want Simmons back on the squad.
“I don’t know what the decision is going to be, what decision the organization makes, but I would like to play with him again,” 76ers guard Furkan Korkmaz said on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. “You want to see him back here. I want to see him back here. On the court, off the court, I know what kind of person he is, how helpful he is. … I would like to have him back.”
