TJ McConnell Comments on Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid Saga With 76ers

How does former 76ers guard TJ McConnell feel about the way the Ben Simmons saga played out?

The Ben Simmons saga with the Philadelphia 76ers is in the rearview. Not only has Simmons been traded to the Brooklyn Nets nearly a year ago now, but the former Sixers All-Star has now made two trips back to Philadelphia since being dealt.

The only thing left in the Simmons saga is the highly-anticipated matchup between the former Sixer and the Philadelphia star center Joel Embiid. When Simmons came to Philly for the first time as a member of the Nets last March, the guard was ruled out due to a back injury. Therefore, he sat on Brooklyn’s bench as a spectator.

When the two teams met in Philly once again in November, Embiid missed the matchup due to a mid-foot sprain. Whether Embiid and Simmons will face each other on January 25 or not is unclear. Either way, the tension surrounding the situation has slowly but surely faded away over time.

Recently, former Sixers guard and current Indiana Pacers veteran TJ McConnell dished his thoughts on the superstar split. McConnell, who spent a handful of years in Philadelphia and played alongside Embiid and Simmons, wished the situation worked out differently.

As the veteran guard prepared for another matchup in South Philly on Wednesday night, he offered his thoughts on how the Simmons saga concluded.

“I mean, kind of building this thing from ground zero and having Joel here when I got here, they drafted him and then Ben, the whole process, I kind of just wanted to see that that thing come full circle," said McConnell. "The fact that it didn’t, that’s life in sports, but yeah, it was disappointing for sure, but they’re both great guys.”

Embiid and Simmons won a lot of games together in Philadelphia. While the star duo struggled to get past the second round of the NBA Playoffs, it was widely assumed that over time, their continued growth as teammates would eventually help them get over the hump and into the Eastern Conference Finals and perhaps the NBA Finals.

But following another second-round exit in 2021, Simmons decided it was time to split. While his departure took longer than expected, the Sixers officially traded the All-Star before the 2022 trade deadline. McConnell and many others wanted to see “The Process” come full circle with Simmons and Embiid running the show. However, the big man was the only one to stick around. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.