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Australian NBA superstar Ben Simmons will be out of Philadelphia 76ers training camp next week despite his $ 200 million contract extension.
The 76ers crashed in the NBA Playoffs last year largely because of Simmons’ disappointing play with basketball legends such as Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley, claiming he was more interested in her celebrity lifestyle.
Simmons will not be showing up to preseason camp and wants to continue his NBA career with another team, a source with direct knowledge of the player’s plans told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
“I love being in Philly,†said the number one pick in the 2016 Draft and three-time All-Star after last season.
But Simmons now wants to leave the team, said the source who spoke on condition of anonymity, as discussions over Simmons’ multi-million dollar contract were private.
Simmons is expected to be out of 76ers training camp and has been criticized by Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley for flaunting his wealth online but failed to improve his game even after five years in the NBA
Maya Jama, 26, and Ben Simmons, 24, confirmed relationship rumors after they were spotted kissing passionately at Wimbledon (pictured)
The 25-year-old was partnered with Joel Embiid as cornerstones of the franchise to lead the 76ers to their first NBA championship since 1983.
However, he was blamed the most for the favorite team’s second-round exit in last season’s playoffs.
He shot 34 percent from the free throw line in the playoffs and was reluctant to attempt a shot from anywhere on the floor late in the game. This led to him spending critical minutes on the bench.
Simmons missed 10 stunning free throws in Game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks and helped reverse a 26-point lead in a loss. His decisive moment, however, was in the seventh game’s loss at home.
With a chance to tie the game at the end of the fourth quarter, Simmons gave up the opportunity to play the playoff hero and took an open look at the rim because he feared he would get dirty.
Simmons did not attempt to pitch in the fourth quarter of Game 2 against the Hawks. He did the same in Games 4-7 – going 0-0 in the last period. Not a single hit in the fourth in five playoff games.
Simmons has just completed the first year of a contract worth up to $ 177 million. He averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists in four seasons with the 76ers, who drafted him out of LSU, where he only played one season.
Getting comfortable: The pair looked crazy as they huddled together and watched the game unfold from the stands
The 2016 No.1 draft pick confirmed he was dating Maya Jama (pictured together) in July
When asked after the Game 7 loss if Simmons could still be a point guard for a championship contender, coach Doc Rivers replied he had no answer.
Embiid also singled out Simmons for the loss, with the comments apparently creating a loophole that would be difficult to repair.
‘I’ll be honest. I thought the turning point was when we, I don’t know how to put it, but I thought the turning point was just that we had an open shot and we had a free throw, â€he said.
Embiid, however, tweeted his support for Simmons on September 1.
“I love playing with Ben,†he wrote. “The statistics don’t lie. He’s an incredible player and we haven’t all done the job. It’s up to me personally. Hope everyone is back because we know we are good enough to win.
The Philadelphia playmaker has been lambasted by fans, media and former players after the 76ers crashed in the playoffs in large part thanks to Simmons’ disappointing play
Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley had also strongly criticized Simmons after the playoffs.
“Ben Simmons, you’re not that good,†O’Neal said on the Big Podcast.
“In this league, do you want to be good? Or do you want to be tall? You are not great. But if you want to reach that next level you have to be awesome, and to be awesome you have to work on your game.
Simmons has been criticized for his work ethic throughout his career, spending his free time on yachts in Europe with his ex-girlfriend Kendall Jenner while other stars upped their game.
“Don’t put photos on your Instagram of your Ferrari or the actress you’re hanging out with,†O’Neal said.
“When you play for a city like Philadelphia, Boston, LA, Miami – hard-working cities, they don’t give any of that.
Barkley said he was “disappointed”. Simmons accepted the US $ 200 million extension, then wanted to leave the team after just one season.
Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley ripped apart the extremely disappointing Australian in the playoffs as Philadelphia crashed in the Eastern Conference semifinals
Barkley and O’Neal claimed Simmons was more interested in his celebrity lifestyle than improving his performance on the pitch
“I am disappointed with Ben Simmons,†Barkley said.
“When you give someone $ 200 million to dribble a stupid basketball, and the only thing you ask them to do is to be better as a player, and their first response is, ‘I don’t want to play here anymore. “, it disappoints me as a player, it disappoints me as a fan.
“They don’t say ‘come and cut my grass.’ They say, ‘Ben, we need you to learn how to shoot basketball.’ ‘
The 76ers are expected to host a media day on Monday, with training camp opening the next day at their Camden, New Jersey compound.
Team president Daryl Morey approached Simmons’ issue on tiptoe in June, but said he still believes the keeper could be part of a championship core.
“I’m not addressing Ben Simmons, but any move that will help our team win the championship or improve our chances, we’ll look or do if that makes sense,†he said.
The 76ers can let Simmons sit and hang him or suspend him, or withhold his paycheck as Morey scans the trade market for a quality deal – complete with draft picks – for the disgruntled star.
Simmons was a selection for the NBA All-Defensive First Team, and his size and strength should make him attractive to a team ready to take a leaflet on him.
Simmons (pictured) wants to get out of contract and pursue career with another NBA team, source says
Without Simmons – or a viable replacement in a trade – the 76ers would be stuck trying to replace him at some point with second-year guard Tyrese Maxey.
They could also move Seth Curry to point and launch the Matisse Thybulle defensive threat.
The issue is unlikely to be settled by the start of the season.
Simmons has found few bright spots in the final months of the season. Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal has claimed he would punch Simmons if they were teammates and Charles Barkley said Simmons was “scared to death.”
Simmons attributed the criticism to playing in Philly.
‘I am who I am. It is what it is, â€he said in June. “The first thing I’m going to do is clear my mind and be in good sanity.”
And the next thing, apparently, was to ask for a trade.
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