NBA 2020-21: In his first game after ultimately not being included in a trade for James Harden, All-Star Ben Simmons had a triple-double 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists in 34 minutes Thursday to lead the 76ers to a 125-108 victory over the Miami Heat in Philadelphia.
Afterward, he called trade talks just part of life as an NBA player.
“I mean, this a business,” Simmons said when asked if he was happy the Harden discussions are behind him after the 2018 NBA MVP was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in a deal that was made official Thursday. “Things like that happen. The only thing I can control is, you know, how I approach my workouts, the games, and my day-to-day thing. So, you know, I’m just trying to be professional and to do the right thing and help my team get wins.”
NBA 2020-21: This is how James Harden said farewell to the city of Houston
Philadelphia 76ers’ president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, acquired Harden as general manager of the Houston Rockets in the fall of 2012 and Brooklyn was the leading contender to land the superstar guard for the past several weeks.
Eventually, though, Houston chose a package from Brooklyn that featured a boatload of draft picks over one from Philadelphia fronted by Simmons.
When asked Thursday if he felt a need to discuss what happened with Morey or anyone else in management, Simmons said he can only control what he can control.
“I come in here and work every day,” Simmons said. “So my job is to get better and get wins — all the other stuff I can’t control. As I said before, all I can control is how I come in with my mindset, with practices and on the floor, and I had a great time tonight. I’m blessed. I get to play the game I love every day at the highest level in the world. … There’s far worse things going on the world, so, you know, I’m in a blessed position. If you told me I would never play the game again, that’d be a different story.”
Daryl Morey said Ben Simmons is an essential part of the Philadelphia 76ers roster
NBA 2020-21: Brooklyn Nets GM ‘under pressure’ after James Harden trade, releases statement
While the Sixers have indicated a willingness to introduce All-Star guard Ben Simmons in trade packages for Harden, those talks have come nowhere close to a deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.
In response, 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey tells @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium: “We are not trading Ben Simmons — he is an important part of our future.” https://t.co/W6T7HQjjoP
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 18, 2020
NBA 2020-21: Luka Doncic and Rick Carlisle break records for the Dallas Mavericks against the Hornets
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