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With rumours emerging that Ben Simmons could possibly return to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Australian point guard shared an interesting Instagram story.
Simmons acrimoniously left the 76ers in 2022, a year after his relationship with Joel Embiid and the front office fell apart following the 2021 playoffs.
The three-time All-Star’s collapse in form during the 2021 playoffs, followed by his controversial exit, soured many 76ers fans on him.
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Ben Simmons shows off his LeBron James shoe collection amid 76ers return rumours
Taking to Instagram, Ben Simmons shared a picture of his LeBron James basketball shoes. Of course, he posted this picture with no caption or text, but used an emoji to hint he was getting back to work soon.
The timing of this post raised eyebrows, given that Simmons has been linked with a return to the 76ers, who recently signed LeBron James.
Of course, fans know that Simmons is signed to Klutch Sports, the agency run by LeBron James’ longtime friend, business partner, and agent, Rich Paul.
Paul was crucial in getting James to the 76ers, and also represents Ben Simmons as his agent. It wouldn’t be surprising to learn that Paul made signing Simmons a condition for landing LeBron.
The 76ers have only one roster spot left, and very little space under the salary cap. Signing Simmons on a $3.2 million veteran minimum contract might be their best option.
However, Philadelphia 76ers fans will not be eager to bring Simmons back to the team for a variety of reasons beyond the nature of his exit.
While many fans turned on him after he left the team, Simmons’ complete collapse as a player over the last four years has left them convinced that he cannot contribute at a high level anymore.
Given that the 76ers are vying for the NBA championship this season, signing a player who has a reputation for being nearly unplayable in the playoffs is a huge risk.
Perhaps the 76ers are planning on using Simmons sparingly, only giving him minutes in garbage time and having him on the squad to pad out their numbers.
However, if there is any confidence in his form, Simmons can provide valuable minutes to the 76ers and play multiple positions beyond point guard.
The decision to sign Simmons is bound to be controversial, so the 76ers front office must be careful and ruminate on the idea before they offer him a contract.
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