Ben Simmons Expectedly Ruled Out for Sixers' Preseason Opener vs. Raptors

The NBA preseason is finally here. On Sunday afternoon, the Philadelphia 76ers wrapped up their final training camp practice and boarded a flight to Toronto as

The NBA preseason is finally here. On Sunday afternoon, the Philadelphia 76ers wrapped up their final training camp practice and boarded a flight to Toronto as they are set to take on the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.

Unfortunately for the Sixers, they'll be without a few players. On Sunday, a team official confirmed that Sixers rookie center Charles Bassey would not travel to Toronto as he's in the process of finalizing his work visa. While the situation is considered isolated, meaning he shouldn't miss any time moving forward, the Sixers won't have the center on board to make his debut on Monday.

In addition to Bassey, the Sixers also plan to rest their newly extended high-prize big man Joel Embiid. Coming off of a playoff run where he tore his meniscus, Embiid, fortunately, remained healthy throughout the offseason and training camp. However, after practicing all but one day since last Tuesday, Embiid will get the night off on Monday as the Sixers take on the Raptors.

And finally, the third player added to Philly's injury report on Sunday night was expectedly the starting point guard, Ben Simmons. Although he remains on the roster, Simmons made it clear he didn't intend to play for the Sixers this season back in August when key members of the organization flew out to meet with the three-time All-Star in Los Angeles.

While many expected Simmons to eventually show up and play for the Sixers since trade talks have stalled, the star guard remains true to his holdout. Not only did he skip out on media day last week, but he also failed to show face at Sixers' training camp.

A report on Friday speculated Simmons could show up to avoid forfeiting 25-percent of his salary for the 2021-2022 season, but Simmons has yet to report to Camden, New Jersey, this offseason. Therefore, there is zero chance he suits up and plays for the Sixers against Toronto on Monday.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.