Several Philadelphia 76ers players reportedly wanted to fly out to Los Angeles and meet with disgruntled teammate Ben Simmons, but were informed not to come at the All Star's request, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and Matisse Thybulle, among others, were prepared to take a jet this week with hopes of convincing Simmons to commit to the 2021-22 season.
Charania adds that, according to sources, Simmons has "mentally checked out" as a member of the 76ers.
On Tuesday, multiple reports surfaced stating Simmons would not report to 76ers training camp, which begins next week, and prefers to continue his NBA career with another team.
Simmons, 25, has often been the subject of trade discussions, dating back to last year when the 76ers included him as a key trade chip in an attempt to acquire James Harden from the Houston Rockets. Harden was eventually traded to the Brooklyn Nets.
But trade rumours only intensified after the 76ers fell to a lower-seed Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the playoffs last season. Simmons, in particular, played below expectations in the series and infamously did not attempt a single shot during the fourth quarter in the final four games of the series -- even with an open layup available in Game 7.
After the game, head coach Doc Rivers said he didn't have an answer as to whether or not Simmons could be a point guard for a championship contender.
Simmons finished second in defensive player of the year voting in 2020-21 and has $147 million over four years left on his contract.
