NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Ben Simmons, Avery Bradley and More
In a little more than 24 hours, the 2021-22 NBA season will be underway, with two games taking place Tuesday night.
That's a known thing. What's unknown is when Ben Simmons will be making his season debut. There's a good chance it won't be when the Philadelphia 76ers play their opener Wednesday night, as he missed training camp and the preseason while holding out to be traded (which hasn't happened).
It's possible Simmons will play for Philadelphia, or he may never play for the team again. Only time will tell.
In the meantime, here's some of the latest buzz surrounding the three-time All-Star and the rest of the NBA with the start of the new season almost here.
Simmons Still Not Intending to Play for 76ers?
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Simmons has reported to the 76ers, cleared health and safety protocols and even practiced with the team Sunday. Yet it's still not a sure thing that he's going to play for the team after the trade he requested never came to fruition.
Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer recently reported that Simmons "still doesn't intend to play in a game for the Sixers," even though he's going through the steps that seem to be leading to that. If he doesn't get dealt, it's unclear what his plans may be.
Rumors have swirled all offseason about what the 76ers' asking price would be for Simmons, which teams would be fits for the 25-year-old point guard and more. But the 2021-22 season is nearly here, and there still aren't solid answers regarding Simmons' future.
Just because Simmons is in Philadelphia with the Sixers doesn't mean that will change, either. It will be interesting to see where this saga heads next and whether he plays for the team.
Bradley Had Support of Several Warriors Players When Waived
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As the Golden State Warriors made their final roster cuts, some tough decisions had to be made. That's what led to veteran shooting guard Avery Bradley being one of four players being waived Friday, leaving the 30-year-old without a job heading into the start of the new season.
It turns out that move wasn't popular with some of the Warriors' top players. Bradley, an 11-year NBA veteran, had supporters in the form of several Golden State standouts, according to The Athletic's Marcus Thompson II.
"In releasing Avery Bradley, the Warriors had to thwart the wishes of their best players, according to team sources," Thompson wrote. "Stephen Curry and Draymond Green were among a group of strong advocates for keeping Bradley."
Thompson added that it didn't matter that Bradley "didn’t look especially impactful" during the preseason because some of the Warriors players thought of him as "someone with the credibility to help their hopes for a deep playoff run." Bradley knows what it takes to win a championship, as he was part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that won the NBA title in 2019-20 (though he didn't enter the Orlando, Florida, bubble for the championship run for personal reasons).
Bradley's popularity with the players didn't land him a roster spot, though, and after playing in regular-season games for seven teams during his career, he will be on the move again.
Simons Won't Be Signing Rookie Contract Extension
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NBA players who were part of the 2018 draft class have until Monday at 6 p.m. ET to sign rookie contract extensions. Some have already done so. However, don't expect to see Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons join that list.
According to The Athletic's Jason Quick, Simons and the Trail Blazers aren't expected to agree to a contract extension before that deadline.
"The Blazers want to see a larger, more consistent body of work, and Simons believes he can enhance his market under the tutelage of coach Chauncey Billups," Quick tweeted.
After getting taken with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft, Simons has played 154 games over his first three seasons in Portland. The 22-year-old averaged 7.8 points in 64 games while coming off the bench for the Trail Blazers during the 2020-21 campaign.
