The long-standing saga between the Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons is finally over. The 76ers finally found a trade for Ben Simmons and sent him to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for James Harden. Ben will have an opportunity to finally be under a team where he’s not needed to score as much as the Nets already have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. He can finally be the player he was always destined to be.
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Ben Simmons has not played a single minute of basketball this season, as he tried to force a move from the Sixers. He has been absent from training camp and he has sat out citing ‘mental health concerns’. In fact, he has lost over half his salary for not attending team activities. He was desperate for a change of scenery and finally, he got one.
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – MAY 5: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers flexes while the fans react to a dunk by Joel Embiid in the second quarter against the Boston Celtics during Game Three of the Eastern Conference Second Round of the 2018 NBA Playoff at Wells Fargo Center on May 5, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Reportedly, Simmons had a call with Kevin Durant to figure out his fit with the team. He was emotional during the call and he thanked the Nets for trading for him. It will be very interesting to see how this trade pans out and it will also be very exciting to see Ben Simmons back on the court.
NBA Twitter Bashes Ben Simmons for his emotional phone call with Kevin Durant
NBA Fans weren’t very happy when reports came out that Ben Simmons was emotional during his call. They mentioned Ben’s reason for mental illness and called him out for faking it. Here are some of the best reactions:
The 76ers believed in him enough to pay him over a hundred million dollars. This fanbase defended him when he wouldn't improve his game. The audacity of this man
And just like that his mental health problems are all gone. That is an insult to everyone who legitimately suffers from mental health. A direct slap in the face. I was totally fine until the Sixers said they were not gonna pay him, and that’s when he had his mental health issues.
This is confusing to me. The man refused to take a wide open layup/dunk in the playoffs. Then he refused to play for his team the entire season. At what point did anyone NOT believe in him? People in Philly were begging him to shoot despite him not being able to. $NSAV
KD listening to Ben whimpering through the phone like
Durants reaction to Ben
Hahaha…what choice did KD have in all this?
How did the trade unfold?
It’s no secret that Ben wanted out from the start of the season itself. Ben did not like how he was made the villain after the 76ers’ loss to the Hawks. Especially by his teammates and coaching staff who he felt threw him under the bus. The 76ers were searching for worthy trades for the All-Star but weren’t able to find any until this point.
Then reports came out that James Harden was unhappy with his situation in Brooklyn. The 76ers smelled an opportunity to get one of the league’s best players and they swooped in to make the biggest trade of the season. Joel Embiid finally has another superstar with him and the 76er are now one of the favorites to win it all.
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As for the Nets, they did lose James Harden, but they got back another all-star in Ben Simmons. He is one of the best defensive players in the league and his vision is otherworldly. His size, length, and speed make him an extremely versatile player.
Although Ben will need to figure out how to play with Durant and Kyrie, he will be happy to start afresh at a new place and with a new team.
Which team do you think got the best from the Harden-Simmons trade? Let us know in the comments below.