Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are a duo immortalized in Philadelphia 76ers history for the wrong reasons. The tandem reminds 76ers fans of a laundry list of what-ifs from “The Process” era as well as their postseason shortcomings.
Still, a reunion between them wasn’t outside the realm of possibility. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said that there were “overtures” between Simmons and Philadelphia after he was bought out by the Brooklyn Nets on February 8th. Fischer also believes Embiid and Simmons repaired the fracture in their once-polarizing relationship.
Embiid and Simmons weren’t on the best of terms
Simmons’ inability to develop a jumpshot made people not only question his ceiling, but also his fit alongside Embiid. This came to a boiling point following Philadelphia’s Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the 2020-21 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Simmons’ flaws were epitomized when he declined a chance at an easy layup, which was one of the 76ers’ many fatal mistakes that warranted their elimination.
“I’ll be honest,” Embiid said after the game. “I thought the turning point was when we, I don’t know how to say it, I thought the turning point was just, we had an open shot and we made one free throw, and we missed the other and then they came down and scored.”
Embiid’s blunt reaction mixed with Doc Rivers’ hesitation when asked if the 76ers could contend with Simmons were seemingly driving factors in Simmons’ departure. The 2017-18 Rookie of the Year requested a trade from the 76ers ahead of the 2021-22 season and refused to remain a part of team activities until then. Amidst the controversy, Embiid infamously said, “At this point, I don’t care about that man.”
Simmons got his wish
Eventually, Philadelphia packaged Simmons to Brooklyn primarily for James Harden on February 10th, 2022. However, back injuries plagued the rest of his career. Simmons missed the 2021-22 campaign and played less than 45 games in his two full seasons in Brooklyn. He posted per-game averages of 6.7 points, 6.7 assists, and six rebounds in his two full seasons with the Nets.
After agreeing to a buyout with the Nets last season, he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. Simmons averaged 2.9 points per game in 18 appearances and appeared as a far cry of the player who was once poised to take the mantle from LeBron James.
Things aren’t looking good for Simmons
Now, the 2017-18 Rookie of the Year is on the cusp of retirement.
Simmons is one of the last high-profile free agents left, but he has yet to net a lucrative offer. Between his inability to grow and regression from back injuries, Simmons is far from the player some grew to love in Philadelphia. This is why a potential 76ers made little sense, despite their need at power forward.
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