PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Joel Embiid-Ben Simmons tandem officially came to an end a couple of weeks ago. It brought much regular season success while it lasted, but it delivered a lot less in the playoffs. Ultimately the pairing didn't win the Sixers a championship.
Embiid recently suggested that Simmons’ situation had reached the point where a change was best.
"I did a lot of chasing around. Try to get him back and try to, you know, make him feel comfortable again,” Embiid told ESPN's Malika Andrews in an interview that appears to have been recorded during All-Star Weekend.
“It was time. I didn't care anymore."
Embiid told Andrews that the last time he spoke with Simmons was about a week or two before his Feb. 10 trade to the Brooklyn Nets.
At his introductory press conference, Simmons indicated to Andrews that, while he spoke with Doc Rivers, Elton Brand, Josh Harris, Tobias Harris and others on his way out, he did not touch base with Joel Embiid.
Simmons requested a trade in the off-season after five years in Philadelphia, four of which he played at a high level. He did not play a single second for the 76ers this season. When Simmons broke his silence on Feb. 15 in Brooklyn, he said that his wish for a fresh start was about a personal issue that predated the 2020-21 season. He insisted it was nothing personal against the Sixers.
Nonetheless, Simmons still had four years left on his contract with Philadelphia, and Embiid and the Sixers could have used him, even while the front office searched for a suitable trade. Instead, Simmons didn't play — for personal reasons.
Meanwhile, Embiid is putting on another MVP-caliber season.
"If I had pride — you know, I'm outspoken and I'm honest — I could've said a lot of stuff," Embiid said. However, he explained, he did what he thought was right as a teammate.
Simmons is ramping up his return to play, though when he will make his Brooklyn debut is unclear. The Nets are eager to add him and their superstar — Kevin Durant — into the lineup. Durant has been out for a while with an injury, so he and Simmons are both gearing up for a return to the court.
During an event in front of fans on Tuesday, Nets general manager Sean Marks gave an update on their statuses.
"Depending when they go, we've got to see how they respond to days like today and will go forward with us," Marks told YES Network's Michael Grady. "It's probably gonna to be tough, to be honest, to be playing in the next three or four days, but we'll see how it all plays out. I'm certainly not going to bet against either one of those guys."
Brooklyn's first game after the All-Star break is Thursday. The Sixers will host the Nets on March 10. Simmons made clear his hopes to play in that game. Time will tell. Assuming Simmons does suit up that night, it will be a wild atmosphere at Wells Fargo Center. Frankly, it will probably be that way anyway.
Embiid has said his peace on the Simmons saga, but Sixers fans in attendance on March 10 will very likely want to express theirs.