Ben Simmons reaches out to Joel Embiid amid reports of 'unlikely' reunion at 76ers
Ben Simmons reached out to former Philadelphia 76ers teammate Joel Embiid to "mend fences" following the Australian's controversial exit from the team.
That's according to an ESPN report that delved deeply into the 76ers poor start to the year, that has seen them drop to 3-13, the second worst record in the NBA this season.
Simmons and Embiid formed a strong partnership during their time together but only managed to reach the eastern conference semi-finals, despite experiencing regular season success.
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But their relationship fell apart after the three-time All-Star requested a trade in 2021, which then led to a holdout from the Australian, who cited mental health issues.
Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons formed a strong partnership. Getty
Most believe the trigger point came in the Game 7 loss to Atlanta in the 2021 playoffs, when Simmons felt he had shouldered too much of the blame for the defeat after infamously passing-up a crucial dunk in the match.
In the post-match press conference, Embiid labelled Simmons' passive play as the "turning point" in the game.
When Simmons continued his hold out despite attempts from teammates to get in touch with him, Embiid called his behaviour "borderline kind of disrespectful" to the team.
But the report states Simmons has reached out to his former teammate, with a source saying a reunion between the two is "unlikely" but that stranger things have happened.
While repairing damage to relationships within the playing group is manageable, making it up to 76ers fan would be a completely different proposition.
Embiid and Simmons during happier times at the 76ers. Getty
Simmons was booed mercilessly when he returned to Philadelphia for the Nets despite playing 275 games for the Sixers over six years.
But with both sides failing to rediscover the success they had together, the former number one overall pick has begun to consider a reunion with his original team.
Simmons is in the last year of his contract with a $40.3 million expiring salary and would be a nice fit on any team because of his strengths on defence and assisting the ball.
This season he has played 13 of the Nets' 18 games so far but his numbers are far below those of his award-winning years with the 76ers.
