Joel Embiid

Daryl Morey isn't kidding about Ben Simmons. He's bluffing.

Appearing on 97.5 The Fanatic on Thursday, the Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations spent over 15 minutes digging a trench in the increasingly acrimonious war between the team he runs and the three-time All-Star no longer interested in being a part of it.

The most relevant comment for our purposes focused on just how long Morey and the Sixers are willing to extend this stalemate, via Kyle Neubeck of Philly Voice:

Coming from anyone other than Morey, a statement like that would ring laughably, nakedly hollow. Four years? In an era defined by ever-shortening timelines and ever-diminishing patience? Ridiculous, right? But Morey has carved out a highly successful career by aggressively booting aside norms. He entered the national consciousness in 2009, an outsider with a computer science degree from Northwestern and an MBA from MIT's Sloan School of Management, the guy who saw value in Shane Battier nobody else did.

Morey wasn't the subject of the now seminal piece by Michael Lewis in the New York Times Magazine, but it solidified his reputation as a nonconformist, a man as responsible for the widespread replacement of old-school thinking by new-school analytics as anyone.

His 2014-15 Houston Rockets set the NBA record for three-point attempts, scoffing at the conventional wisdom that jump-shooting teams couldn't win championships. The team broke its own record three more times and now holds the four highest-volume three-point shooting seasons in league history.

Morey also challenged convention on an individual basis, empowering James Harden to control an offense like few players ever had. The approach led Harden to win the MVP award in 2017-18, and The Beard owns three of the dozen highest single-season usage-rate figures ever posted.

All that's to say Morey is someone whose confidence as a disruptor is well-founded. His rejection of orthodoxy has worked over and over again. You don't operate that way, successfully, without developing some hubris, without thinking you really can keep doing what's never been done.

If ever there were a person willing to approach a situation such as the one with Simmons in an unprecedented way by, say, extending the standoff for almost a half-decade, it'd probably be Morey.

Yet for all the reasons we might take the Sixers' top executive at his word, there are a couple of more compelling ones forcing us to doubt him. The first is Joel Embiid who, in his age-26 season last year, was arguably the per-minute MVP. He didn't win the award in part because he missed 21 games—no shock for a player who has lost significant time because of injuries in every season of his career.

Whatever stubborn patience the Sixers may have with the Simmons situation has to be balanced against the screaming urgency to win—right now—while Embiid is at the peak of his powers. And that's to say nothing of the risks they run with respect to Embiid's happiness. He, perhaps more than the Sixers, must understand the exigency of the moment. Nobody should be itching to get this resolved more than Embiid. If he applies pressure to the front office, you can forget four years. Simmons will be gone in four seconds.

The only thing worse than one star demanding a trade is two, and if the Sixers drag this out, they will risk adding Embiid to the ranks of the disgruntled.

This is why Morey's insistence on waiting for the right trade package falls flat.

His repeated assertions that the Sixers won't trade Simmons for role players, that they must instead receive a difference-maker in return, doesn't check out. Morey says he's got four years of patience because dealing Simmons for less than a star lowers the team's championship odds. He claims keeping Simmons, even if he never plays, is the only alternative.

But how does rostering Simmons while he refuses to suit up improve a team's title shot more than a handful of helpful support pieces? Take Morey's comments to their logical conclusion. Are we expected to believe the Sixers will wait this mess out for the duration, hold on to Simmons because nothing out there ups their championship odds and then lose him in 2025 free agency?

This is great theater, but like all theater, it involves performance. Morey has made a career of seeing angles and seeking edges. We should credit him with thinking things through and deciding that the best move involves projecting Olympic levels of intractability. At the very least, it might signal to Simmons that he won't get what he wants through insubordination.

Realistically, when most of the 35 percent of players currently ineligible to be traded hit the market Dec. 15, the Sixers' options will expand. By then, we might have a new set of big names hoping to shake loose from situations that have soured. Maybe Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard won't be available. No matter. There'll be others. Discontented stars seeking trades are a renewable resource. There are always more.

What's happening with Simmons and the Sixers has already gone on longer than expected, but it won't last forever. There's no scenario in which Morey lets it fester through this season's trade deadline, let alone three more.

Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary info via Spotrac.

Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons left the team's practice facility without taking part in his scheduled workout Thursday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

According to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic, Simmons is "not mentally ready to play" and will miss Friday's game against the Brooklyn Nets. It's not known when he will suit up for the 76ers.

Simmons told staff Thursday he was experiencing "back tightness" and was briefly treated for it, but the medical staff cleared him to participate in the workout, per Wojnarowski.

As Wojnarowski noted, the three-time All-Star is "yet to fully engage in a team practice."

Wojnarowski added that Simmons is expected to discuss his playing status with the organization on Friday:

Simmons was suspended for the 76ers' season-opening win against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday after he was thrown out of practice Tuesday.

The 25-year-old has been seeking a trade since the offseason, telling team officials in August that he would not report.

Simmons changed course in his holdout this month, reporting to the Wells Fargo Center without notifying Philadelphia personnel.

The guard has spent the past couple of weeks with the team, but he seemingly isn't willing to take part in practices, which could keep him off the court for games.

"It's a predicament that we're in, and that part is no fun. It really isn't," head coach Doc Rivers told reporters Wednesday.

Simmons remains an impact player on the court, averaging 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game in 2020-21. He has been named first-team All-Defense in each of the past two years.

This hasn't helped the 76ers this offseason, however, and the team must determine its next course of action for what has become a significant distraction.  

The question of "Who Will Blink First in Ugly Ben Simmons-Philadelphia 76ers Staring Contest?" was answered last week when Simmons reported to the team, cleared the necessary protocols and rejoined the squad for practice ahead of the season opener Wednesday.

While Simmons swerved in the game of chicken, he's not precisely contrite and conciliatory. Paraphrasing The Athletic's John Hollinger, Simmons may win this battle by attempting to destroy the Sixers from within.

What triggered Simmons' return? Probably a deeper understanding of the rules within the NBA's collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which meant unrecoverable fines for his no-show. The 76ers withholding the second balloon payment in Simmons' contract (roughly $8.3 million) was...effective.

Several agents called the move outrageous, citing that if Simmons had culled $1 million in fines, the team shouldn't be withholding about $8 million in salary. They also acknowledged that while Simmons will likely get most of his money back after he and the team go to arbitration, the process might take six to nine or even 12 months to resolve.

So Simmons is back with the 76ers—barely. On Tuesday he practiced with his cellphone in his pocket, away from the team and got kicked out by coach Doc Rivers (via Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN), but he is technically there.

It's an ugly distraction dominating the news cycle. It will relent a little once the games get started, but the issue isn't going away, especially if the 76ers get off to a slow start.

From a practical point of view, Simmons will have a better chance to fight for his money by pretending to honor his contract. He can't convincingly argue he isn't in breach if he's a complete no-show.

Meanwhile, the Sixers are building their case in what is a high-profile human resources issue. That is until they trade him and get this mess off their books.

And while several teams have inquired—10, per B/R's Jake Fischer—the focus for the rest of the NBA over the past few days were roster cutdowns, two-way players, G League affiliate players and rookie-scale extensions. Most franchises have a full roster (15 under regular contract and a pair of two-ways) and a perfect record with zero losses, at least headed into Tuesday's opening-night contests.

While some teams will win about 15 of their first 20 games, some will lose 15. Also, most free agents signed over the summer cannot be traded until Dec. 15 (some until Jan. 15).

The trade market just isn't there yet for the Sixers, which is why they're not interested in trading Simmons right now. But they are and would pull the trigger before you finish this sentence if the opportunity presented itself.

Additionally, teams understand the Sixers are in an awful situation. Why help? The goal is to take advantage of a team when they're down. From the point of view of the 29 other franchises, the longer this goes on, the better.

Philadelphia needs another team to get equally or even more desperate than it is. If the Portland Trail Blazers fall apart early, will Damian Lillard become available? What of Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards?

Neither team, according to several sources, is interested in moving its star guard for Simmons. Will that be the case in December or January if both teams are flailing? And what if they get off to solid starts and are viable playoff entries?

The Simmons saga will resolve eventually, maybe positively for the Sixers, maybe poorly. But it won't happen until it needs to happen. Simmons can and will make the situation uncomfortable to get what he wants. Philadelphia is willing to push through that because it has to.

There's no right or wrong here—or better yet, there's no right here, just two wrongs. Did Simmons breach his contract by not showing up for training camp and the preseason? Yes. Did the Sixers breach the contract by not paying Simmons his second payment? That happened, too.

Are players supposed to issue public trade demands (through their agents or the media)? Nope. Should teammate Joel Embiid and Rivers have questioned a vulnerable Simmons (after a glaring miscue) to the media following a tough playoff loss? No, sir.

For the Sixers fanbase, Simmons is the guilty party. The NBA and National Basketball Players Association can refine the rules in the next CBA negotiation, but if both sides now are blatantly disregarding the rules, how can revisions (that can equally be ignored) solve the issue?

If it's a complex situation, it's not a unique one. Wilt Chamberlain demanded a trade out of Philadelphia (landing with the Los Angeles Lakers) over 50 years ago. NBA teams often trade players just months after signing them to contracts, and while Simmons isn't the good guy here, he's attempting to take control of his career. 

While the Sixers may end up the better for it with a thoughtful trade, forcing one now for the sake of closure is nonsensical. So, for now, Simmons will go through the motions. The team will respond in kind.

Simmons hopes to be defined by what comes next, post-Philadelphia. Unfortunately, this version of ugly may stick with him for a long, long time.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter, @EricPincus.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid said he hasn't spoken with teammate Ben Simmons, who received a one-game suspension Tuesday for conduct detrimental to the team, since the point guard's return from his holdout.

"At the end of the day, our job is not to babysit somebody," Embiid told reporters. He added:

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Sixers head coach Doc Rivers tossed Simmons from Tuesday's practice because "he declined several times to sub into a drill."

"I thought he was a distraction today," Rivers told reporters afterward. "I didn't think he wanted to do what everyone else was doing."

The 25-year-old LSU product didn't report for the start of training camp while awaiting a potential trade that hasn't arrived.

Philadelphia responded by placing the $8.25 million owed to Simmons on Oct. 1 as part of his five-year, $177.2 million contract in an escrow account. The team deducted $360,000 from that account as a fine for each preseason game that he missed during the holdout, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks.

It eventually became clear that a trade wouldn't be finalized before the start of the regular season. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Oct. 2 that teams weren't coming close to the Sixers' "lofty demands" despite continued interested around the NBA.

The three-time All-Star thus ended his holdout and reported to the team last Monday. However, a source warned Pompey not to expect Simmons at his best.

"They know that," the source told Pompey. "They've been known that. It doesn't matter whether Ben shows up here today or two weeks from now. He's going to be in street clothes, and you are not going to get the same Ben Simmons. So you might as well move on."

That quote sounds almost prophetic in hindsight following Simmons' suspension.

The two-time NBA All-Defensive first-team selection can still be an impactful two-way contributor, but it remains unclear whether his relationship with the Sixers is salvageable after he emerged as the scapegoat after the team's second-round playoff exit to the Atlanta Hawks last season.

Simmons scored only 19 combined points over the series' final three games and passed up a wide-open layup in the final minutes of Game 7, which Embiid considered the turning point of the season-ending loss.

The only short-term guarantee is the Sixers will take the floor against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night without one of their key players.

What happens beyond that in the Simmons saga is still a mystery.

Some members of the Philadelphia 76ers—most notably Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid—publicly criticized Ben Simmons for his Game 7 performance in the team's second-round loss to the Atlanta Hawks in last year's playoffs.

Privately, some didn't think he wanted to play in the game at all.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported Simmons was in danger of missing Game 7 because of close contact with a masseuse who received an inconclusive COVID-19 test. However, some within the organization "questioned whether Simmons had actually seen the masseuse—or was just trying to get out of playing as he battled the basketball version of the yips."

Simmons ultimately did play in Game 7—poorly—leading to widespread backlash from fans and the not-so-subtle frustration from Rivers and Embiid, with the latter calling Simmons' decision to pass up a wide-open dunk late in the contest game's the turning point. 

What's followed has been a months-long odyssey, with the Sixers trying and failing to find a suitable trade for Simmons and the three-time All-Star holding out for the first two weeks of training camp in hope of forcing a deal. Simmons reported to camp Monday, abruptly ending his holdout, but there has been little clarification on when he'll return to the court.

"I'm assuming he's going to play, but who knows? I can't get in anyone's head," Rivers told reporters. "Whether we play him or not, that's going to depend on what we see this week. 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."

The fact that people within the Sixers theorized that Simmons would go as far as to essentially fake a close contact to avoid playing in a game shows the deep level of distrust between the two parties. 

The strain in the relationship is far from one-sided. The Sixers share as much blame in the matter as Simmons, though the player has handled himself poorly of late given he has four years left on his contract and no leverage.

Both parties appear stuck with each other for the moment, but we'll see how that plays out once Simmons is on the court. 

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid urged teammate Ben Simmons to "buy in" amid his unexpected return to the franchise ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Simmons reported to the Wells Fargo Center, the Sixers' home arena, Monday night to restart COVID-19 testing after being away from the team while awaiting a trade that hasn't materialized.

Embiid told reporters the situation "doesn't need to be awkward:"

Head coach Doc Rivers added: "Players don't get involved in people's business. They want to win. And they look at Ben as a guy that can help them do that."

The 76ers attempted to find a suitable trade for Simmons, a three-time All-Star and two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection, but they "never came close to finding a deal that returned them the kind of elite player they'd want" for their starting point guard, per Wojnarowski.

Philadelphia has been in a state of turmoil since being eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of last season's playoffs.

After its Game 7 loss, Embiid questioned Simmons' decision to pass up a wide-open layup in the final minutes and Rivers was asked whether the 25-year-old Australian could be the point guard on a championship team.

"I don't know the answer to that right now," Rivers replied.

Perhaps fed up with being the scapegoat for the Sixers' inability to reaching title-level expectations in recent years, Simmons didn't report for the start of training camp and appeared ready to remain sidelined until the a deal was found.

Instead, just nine days before Philly opens the regular season by visiting the New Orleans Pelicans, the LSU product started to process to rejoin the roster.

Meetings are planned starting Tuesday about how to reintegrate Simmons into the squad, with a focus on whether the money he's been fined for missing practices and games would be returned, and there's a belief the discussions will show whether "reconciliation is possible," per Wojnarowski.

Since the Sixers gained "no traction" on a trade, the guard may have little choice beyond playing for the Sixers to open the campaign in an effort to bolster his own trade value if his long-term goal remains getting out of Philadelphia.

Wojnarowski noted the trade market tends to heat up after Dec. 15, when more players become contractually available for deals, but Simmons' "intentions" remain unclear heading into Tuesday's meetings after reporting to the team Monday night.

It sounds like Embiid and Rivers are willing to welcome him back with open arms if he's willing to play for the Sixers again, which is something that seemed like an extreme long shot in recent weeks.

More clarity on the situation should arrive in the coming days.