On Monday, word broke that Ben Simmons and the 76ers were “working on a resolution” that would bring the three-time All-Star back to the team, ending his holdout before the regular season got started.
It was a pretty significant change of heart from Simmons, who had reportedly been adamant he was done in Philly, but as the reality of missing out on game checks and getting fined set in, he seemed to recognize a trade wasn’t coming in the immediate and he was about to lose out on a lot of money — with no option to get that money back. While reports said the two sides were progressing in talks, nothing seemed imminent with the Sixers set to host the Nets on Monday night for preseason action, but in the middle of the game, Simmons apparently arrived in town to take a COVID-19 test and enter himself into the necessary league protocols to return to the team.
That was a surprise to many, including the Sixers, who according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski had no indication Simmons was going to show up in Philly on Monday night until he strolled up for his test.
Sources: Sixers were unaware Simmons was flying into Philadelphia today. The organization was in constant contact with agent Rich Paul, but Simmons simply showed up at arena to take his Covid test prior to Sixers-Nets tip — and that's when team officials knew he was in town. https://t.co/j3cGnC6mgG
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 12, 2021
It would be really funny if Simmons just rolled up, George Costanza style, pretending none of the drama of the last few months ever happened and just jumped right back in. That seems unlikely, as part of the discussions between the two sides has reportedly been about whether the star will actually play or not once back with the team. Still, Simmons is, suddenly, back in town for now and this saga figures to only get stranger from here.
