According to sources close to Simmons, he's upset that Embiid seemed to blame him for last season's playoff loss, when Simmons did not blame Embiid for Embiid's poor showing in the playoffs against the Toronto Raptors in 2019. He's frustrated that Rivers didn't come to see him while he was training in Los Angeles last summer.
Simmons doesn't dispute that he didn't reply when Rivers texted and called him several times over the summer asking to see him. But in hindsight, Simmons feels Rivers and the Sixers could've done more, like show up at a well-known gym in the San Fernando Valley where he was training.
He's also skeptical, sources close to him say, of Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey's willingness to trade him because of his previous pursuit of Harden -- who can become a free agent this summer. Simmons would be the best player the Sixers would send in any theoretical trade. And he's upset that the organization is fining him so heavily after he raised mental health as an issue upon his return.
Rich Paul, Simmons' agent, had spent weeks in the fall trying to convince the three-time All Star to fly back to Philadelphia, as a show of good faith.
Simmons did not want to go, under any circumstances.
But according to sources with knowledge of the conversation, Paul told Simmons that while he understood Simmons wasn't mentally ready to get on the court, because of the four years remaining on his contract, they simply had no leverage if he didn't at least return to the team.
Simmons said he understood. And when his older brother, Sean Tribe, agreed with Paul, the decision was made to fly back to Philadelphia. To Simmons, this was a grand gesture of good faith. To the Sixers, it was a surprise (no one let them know in advance Simmons was coming), and the least a player under contract could do.
There will forever be debate about the intentions behind Simmons' return to the team. There are people on both sides who believe that he was open to playing for the Sixers again at that point. There are also skeptics who think it was just a stunt designed to mitigate the millions he'd continue to lose.
Whatever the case, the return didn't go well.
He was offended, sources close to him say, that the Sixers still fined him for not playing in the final preseason game even after he rushed to arrive at the arena before tipoff. Whatever good faith he thought he was showing, it hadn't been appreciated.
Everything reached a boiling point on Oct. 19. Simmons was scheduled to speak to the media after practice. It was a contractual obligation, and Simmons had agreed to it. However he did not engage in any preparation with the team's public relations staff, with whom he'd previously enjoyed strong relationships. Instead he talked through what he intended to say with those in his camp. According to sources close to Simmons, his message would be simple:
I'm not in a great place mentally. I don't feel comfortable playing in this environment and I'm looking forward to a change of scenery.
Except, Simmons never did deliver that message. Earlier that day, Rivers had asked him to engage in a practice drill. Simmons refused and was promptly sent home. A short time later, he was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team.
SIMMONS HAS LOST over $19 million in fines since the season began (each missed game costs him $360,000). He hasn't cleared a paycheck since the $8.25 million (25% of his $33 million salary) that was due to him Oct. 1. Every two weeks the team sends a notice with an explanation of all the fines he has accumulated for failing to render services, instead of a $1.375 million paycheck. By the end of the season, if he does not play for the Sixers or any other team, Simmons could lose another $12 million.
It is a staggering amount of money. Everyone involved assumes this issue will eventually be settled in arbitration. But those close to Simmons, who has earned upward of $60 million over his career, insist his decision to demand a trade and then not to play until he is traded has never been financially motivated. He wants a fresh start, away from a franchise he doesn't feel comfortable playing for anymore.
"We don't give a f--- about the money," one source close to Simmons says. "That's not what this is. It's hard for people to understand. But if you believe in what you're doing and that this is not the right situation for you, and you're trying to get to a better place, the money doesn't matter. Obviously it's a financial hit. But you adjust."
Said another source close to Simmons, "It's easy to tell when someone is hurt when they have a cast on their arm. But this is mental health. You can't always see it. But ask yourself, how many people would lose a dollar over this? That should tell you everything."
There have been a few scattered meetings; Morey has canvassed the league looking for trades; Simmons has trained to stay ready in case he is traded.
In many ways, he has already moved on. He still lives with his Italian mastiff, Bane, in the house he'd originally hoped would be a forever home in Philadelphia, although he put it up for sale months ago. He also recently proposed to his fiancée, British television personality Maya Jama.
Even so, for however much he says he doesn't want to be in Philadelphia, for all the slights -- real and perceived -- he holds against the franchise, Simmons watches every game, sources close to him say.
"At the end of the day, it's still his team," a source says. "And he still wants to play."
