Report: Ben Simmons No Longer In Communication With Philadelphia 76ers

With a deal that would ship Ben Simmons out of Philadelphia yet to be made, reports are surfacing that he has unofficially seceded from the Sixers organization. According to NBA reporter Jason Dumas, "Ben Simmons has cut off communication with basically everyone in the Sixers organization."

Dumas expounds upon his report by adding that all communication is being made with Simmons' agent, Rich Paul.

Source: Ben Simmons has cut off communication with basically everyone in the Sixers organization. Everything is going thru his agent, Rich Paul. Ben is open to going to the GSWs though he doesn’t have much leverage in the situation.
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) August 5, 2021

The 25-year-old is also interested in joining the Golden State Warriors, but considering the circumstances revolving around his situation with the Sixers, he has no leverage. On the Warriors side, they have a plethora of young talent to offer the 76ers but are likely to repudiate any deal involving their big three.

This news corroborates an earlier story that asserts that Philadelphia has been unable to contact Simmons since their season ended on June 20. The team was eager to set up training sessions with the All-Star but haven't been able to communicate with him. Moreover, this is purportedly not the first time that Simmons has ghosted the franchise when it came to developmental workouts.

Per @JakeLFischer on today’s @GastroBluesPod, the Sixers have been unable to get in touch with Ben Simmons this offseason. https://t.co/35ptpoy1jl pic.twitter.com/ijKxlc8TJS
— The Gastroenteritis Blues (@GastroBluesPod) July 26, 2021

While reports indicate that the Sixers will trade Simmons before the start of the season, team president Daryl Morey recently tweeted a picture lauding their team's starting five's net rating — a stat that included Simmons at the point guard position. Albeit, Morey is an avid stat junky, but this could imply that if a palatable offer doesn't come Philadelphia's way, Simmons could be here to stay.