FILE – Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 07, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP
Ben Simmons and his agent engaged the Philadelphia 76ers to open dialog about his future with the franchise, ESPN reported Thursday.
The 24-year-old All-Star could be on the move after a poor shooting performance in the playoffs prompted head coach Doc Rivers to offer an ominous answer as to whether the 76ers could win a title with Simmons at point guard.
ESPN said Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul met with 76ers general manager Elton Brand and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey during the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. The goal, per the report, was not to formally request a trade or demand any action but to align on the team’s view of the situation.
Morey said the 76ers were eliminated from the playoffs because they “didn’t have enough good players.”
“We need to be a better offensive team,” Morey said. .”.. Frankly if we’re squeaking by the second round, that just tells me we’re unfortunately not good enough … to win the title, so we need to get better.”
Rivers said the day after the Atlanta Hawks eliminated the Sixers in Game 7 that Philadelphia was committed to putting Simmons in position to succeed. He met with Simmons this week to discuss a plan for improving his shooting.
ESPN reported the 76ers remain committed to keeping Simmons. He has four years remaining on his current contract worth $147 million.