The Philadelphia 76ers will tip off their 2021-22 season on Wednesday night in New Orleans against the Pelicans. However, Doc Rivers will be without one of his most talented players when the team takes the court.
All-Star point guard Ben Simmons was suspended from the Sixers season opener Wednesday after he was thrown out of practice on Monday. The 25-year-old reportedly refused to sub into a defensive drill twice before Rivers told him that he could leave.
The practice outburst was just the latest spat between the 76ers and Simmons after an offseason holdout stretched the pair’s relationship to a near breaking point. Now the point guard’s teammates, including All-NBA center Joel Embiid, seem to want nothing to do with him.
The latest indication that Simmons might not be with the Sixers for long came in a unique way on Wednesday afternoon. As is customary in today’s NBA, the team’s Twitter account shared a hype video ahead of Philadelphia’s game in New Orleans that featured many of the team’s current players.
However, Simmons was nowhere to be found in the promotional clip. Take a look:
for the city of Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/rd5clnorfh
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 20, 2021
Although the video doesn’t have any sway on whether or not Simmons will be with the Sixers long term, it’s certainly a good indication about how the team views the 25-year-old at this point.
Philadelphia is reportedly still looking for trade partners, but with Simmons’ latest behavior, the prospect of a deal getting done seems more unlikely than ever. 76ers general manager Daryl Morey is unwilling to accept role players and draft compensation for the three-time All-Star, leaving many negotiations at a stalemate.
It’s virtually impossible to foresee how the Simmons situation will reach a resolution. For right now, the Sixers will try to shelve the ongoing dispute and focus on winning a basketball game.
Wednesday’s opener between the 76ers and Pelicans will get underway at 8 p.m. ET.
The post Look: Someone’s Missing From Sixers Promotional Video appeared first on The Spun.
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