The Sixers Suspended Ben Simmons For The Opener After He Got Kicked Out Of Practice On Tuesday

Ben Simmons is back in Philadelphia after he reported to camp late once it became clear that his efforts at a holdout weren’t going to get him traded before the season started and he found himself missing out on a lot of money.

Simmons was back with the team starting on Sunday, with practice footage of him going through the motions with the team emerging on Monday when reporters were allowed in. The All-Star has yet to speak with the media since arriving in Philadelphia (which happened suddenly last week and even caught the Sixers by surprise) but was scheduled to do so on Tuesday after practice. That is, until a release got sent out by the team that Simmons had been suspended for the season opener due to “conduct detrimental to the team.”

Per numerous reports, Simmons refusal to be engaged in practice led to Doc Rivers kicking him out at the end of practice and, ultimately, the one-game suspension.

Rivers confirmed that he felt Simmons became “a distraction” in practice when he met with the media shortly after the suspension was announced.

It’s not a major surprise that this is happening, given Simmons has made clear he doesn’t want to play in Philly anymore but the team won’t trade him for pennies on the dollar, which has led to a stalemate. It figures to only get uglier from here, as it seems unlikely that Simmons or the Sixers suddenly change course until things get considerably worse. Who breaks first will be interesting to watch from afar, as Simmons getting suspended constantly and losing out on checks will test his resolve, while having a star disrupting practice will likewise test how uncomfortable the Sixers are willing to get while remaining adamant about their asking price.