Report: Simmons's Agent Met With 76ers Management to Discuss Future With Team

Ben Simmons's agent, Rich Paul, reportedly met with 76ers management this week to discuss the All-Star guard's future with the team.

Ben Simmons's agent, Rich Paul, met with 76ers management this week to discuss the All-Star guard's future with the team, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. 

Paul, who is the CEO of Klutch Sports, met with Philadelphia president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and general manager Elton Brand at the predraft combine to evaluate the next steps in Simmons's career. 

According to ESPN, the 76ers currently remain committed to keeping Simmons as a central piece of their franchise. No trade request was made this week, though the two sides are expected to continue discussing Simmons's future with the organization ahead of the July 29 NBA draft and August free agency, per ESPN. 

Much of the conversation surrounding Philadelphia's second-round postseason exit has been about Simmons, who averaged just 9.9 points per game and shot 15-for-45 (33.3%) in the series. He attempted only 14 shots in the final three games and had just three fourth-quarter field goal attempts in the entire series. 

According to ESPN, Simmons and coach Doc Rivers also met this week to discuss a plan of improvement moving forward. 

Simmons, 24, has four years and $147 million left on his contract. Opposing teams are reportedly trying to gauge the 76ers' interest in trade packages, despite Philadelphia's hesitancy to deal Simmons. 

"You won’t get another ‘star’ for him,” an Eastern Conference team executive recently told Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix. “They might have to attach a young player just to move him.” 

“People can say he is good in all these other areas, but with today’s game, shooting is the most important skill," another executive told SI. "Are teams going to take a chance to build around a guy that is scared to shoot?”

Morey was asked Tuesday if Simmons would return to the team next season.

"We have a very strong group we believe in," he said. "None of us can predict the future of what is going to happen. … We love what Ben brings. We love what Joel [Embiid] brings. We love what Tobias [Harris] brings. In terms of what’s next, we’ll do what is best for the 76ers to give us the best chance to win a championship with every single player on the roster.”