Sixers Rumors: Ben Simmons is Reportedly Dodging Joel Embiid's Calls

Sixers star Ben Simmons is reportedly dodging Joel Embiid's phone calls as the trade rumors get louder.

Every offseason for the last couple of years, Ben Simmons' name has been brought up as a potential trade candidate for several teams. In the past, it was never an actual possibility for teams to land him as the Sixers never had him on the trade block.

When Daryl Morey joined Philly's front office, though, that all changed. Morey didn't actively shop Simmons around during the 2020-2021 NBA season, but he was willing to part ways with Simmons in exchange for James Harden.

As we know now, the Brooklyn Nets landed Harden, which allowed the 76ers to keep working with Simmons on the roster. After the Harden sweepstakes ended, all Simmons trade rumors were put to rest. 

But once Simmons wrapped up the 2021 playoff run with a disappointing performance in round two, he became available to the 29 other teams in the NBA. At this point, a Simmons trade seems inevitable.

Not only are the Sixers actively engaging in trade talks with other teams, but the three-time All-Star has reportedly cut off all communication with the organization. According to Jason Dumas of Bleacher Report, even Joel Embiid can't get ahold of Simmons, who has been reportedly dodging the MVP finalists' calls. 

"Joel Embiid has reached out to him several times since the end of the season, and he hasn’t returned Joel Embiid’s calls," Dumas said on 95.7 The Game. "He hasn’t been in touch with any other players, and he’s essentially taken a step back and said, 'hey, all my communication is going to be through my agent.'”

It's necessary to note that the Sixers denied not having any communication with Simmons this summer last week, according to Kyle Neubeck of The PhillyVoice. Per Neubeck's report, the plans of having Simmons work directly with team personnel this summer haven't happened yet, but the Sixers intend to make that happen still.

Will Simmons be open to working with anybody on the Sixers' staff amid all of the trade talks? It's unclear. Based on Dumas' latest report, it seems Simmons has accepted and embraced an eventual fresh start. Whether that will happen or not remains to be seen.

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