Ben Simmons arrives in Philadelphia as Sixers, guard work toward resolution

Update: According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Simmons has arrived in Philadelphia and took a COVID-19 test per NBA protocols. This appears to mean talks between the guard’s camp and Sixers officials went well and both parties will set aside their differences for now to focus on the season. Simmons may still want a trade in the long run but for now it appears he’ll be with the 76ers for the 2021-22 season.

The Philadelphia 76ers and All-Star PG Ben Simmons are working toward a resolution to the rift between the two sides, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported early Monday morning. Philly has been in constant contact with Simmons’ agent Rich Paul, trying to resolve the issues caused by the end of last season and trade rumors.

So it appears Simmons may be staying put in Philadelphia with the season looming on Oct. 19. Shams Charania of The Athletic is reporting Simmons could report to the Sixers as soon as this week.

Well, this is pretty anti-climactic. Everyone was under the impression Simmons would be dealt before the start of the season. The previous reports had Simmons as unhappy and sitting out the preseason and potentially the start of the season until a trade was reached. It seems one of the sides must have caved. Plus, it would have been very difficult to navigate a Simmons trade given his expected value and salary.

This is actually pretty good news for fantasy basketball managers. If you’re drafting this week or during the weekend, at least you know what the deal is with Simmons. It seems he’ll be fine for the start of the season and the Sixers roster will be intact. If you drafted Simmons prior to this news and got some value on him, nice work.