Will Ben Simmons ever return to Philadelphia 76ers? Brooklyn Nets star speaks on future

The Philadelphia 76ers were jolted when Ben Simmons decided to part ways after much hue and cry last year. Simmons moved to the Brooklyn Nets but he filed a grievance against the 76ers to recoup a portion of his salary. The two parties did reach an agreement and that bitter phase seems to be a thing of the past now for the Australian basketballer. Simmons currently does not hold grudges against the 76ers at all.

Simmons even revealed that he wishes to return to his former side in the future. “I’ll always have love for Philly. People always ask me like, ‘If you were to get traded again where you want it to be?’ I always say, ‘Just Philly. Philly is a second home to me.’ And in time, you learn and grow as people,” Simmons said during an interview with the Andscape website.

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At the same time, Ben Simmons admits that his association with the Philadelphia 76ers could have come to an end on a sweeter note. “I don’t really have anything bad to say about Philly. It was a crazy situation at the end, but it is what it is,” he said. After being drafted as the number one overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016, Simmons was expected to reach great heights in the NBA.

The 2017-2018 Rookie of the Year, Simmons made it to the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams in 2019-2020. Along with the souring relations with the 76ers management, Simmons’ on-court performance also plummeted. His association with the 76ers came to an end in 2022 after the franchise traded him to Brooklyn Nets. The 76ers let Simmons go in a blockbuster five-player trade deal which saw them bring in James Harden and Paul Millsap.

Simmons’ performance last season was far from being formidable. He could manage to average 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists, making 42 appearances last time. The Brooklyn Nets forward will be hoping to produce an impactful performance in the NBA this time having been quite lackluster in the last couple of seasons.

Simmons also expressed his intention to represent Australia at the next edition of the Olympics, scheduled to be held in Paris in 2024. Simmons, who last played for the Australia senior national team at the 2013 FIBA Oceania Championship, has been dealing with injury issues in recent times.

“Olympics? Yeah, 100%. To me, I’m going to play when I’m ready. There hasn’t really been a time where I’ve been prepared and ready physically. But next year, my goal is to be on the Olympic team,” the 27-year-old said.

Australia, the bronze medalists at the Tokyo Olympics two years back, will secure a berth in the next edition of the event if they can finish the ongoing Basketball World Cup in a better place than New Zealand.

The Aussies defeated Japan on Tuesday to reach the next round of the Basketball World Cup. The match against Japan was a must-win for the Aussies and they put up an impressive show to claim a 109-89 victory.