Ben Simmons. AP PHOTO
It may take fans at least three months to witness No. 1 draft pick Ben Simmons grace an NBA court, but if his Agent Rich Paul would have his way, we won’t see him until next year.
With just a few weeks before the regular season starts, the former LSU sensation suffered a foot injury in training camp and is set to undergo surgery sometime this week.
NBA: No.1 draft pick Simmons breaks foot
Paul, who also represents the likes of LeBron James, John Wall and Eric Bledsoe, reportedly doesn’t want the 20-year-old Aussie to make his rookie debut this season.
“I just got off the phone with somebody who I really trust in the NBA, and he’s like there’s no way his agent is going to let him play this year,” Bob Cooney from the Philadelphia Daily News broke the story on Monday (Tuesday in Manila).
“That’s an injury that you don’t mess around with, and he thinks he’s going to keep him off his feet all year,” he said.
Despite the predicted timetable of a possible return, Paul reportedly doesn’t want to risk his young client’s health and potential, even after varying opinions from doctors, team officials and people around the league.
It’s also worth noting that Simmons put in a massive amount of muscle over the summer, and his sudden shift in weight may have led to his injury.
His team, the 76ers, meanwhile, is no stranger to having its lottery pick sit out even before his career starts. Its third overall pick of the 2014 draft, Joel Embiid, had to sit out the last two seasons while recovering from foot and other related injuries.
He is expected to make his NBA regular season debut this year alongside young talents Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel. Khristian Ibarrola