Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid took a major shot at Ben Simmons recently by saying that the organization made a “mistake” by getting rid of Jimmy Butler to make Simmons a better fit with the team.
Embiid also said that the 76ers’ teams “have always been built around” Simmons’ needs.
Of course, the 76ers traded Butler to the Miami Heat back in 2019.
Embiid on Ben, partial: "Our teams have always been built around his needs. So it's just kind of surprising to see. Even going back to, the reason we signed Al, we got rid of Jimmy, which I still think was a mistake, just to make sure he needed the ball in his hands."
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) September 30, 2021
It’s clear that Embiid’s relationship with Simmons is in shambles, and it seems like there’s no going back at this point. Embiid reportedly made attempts throughout the offseason to try to get Simmons to return to the Sixers, but the efforts were unsuccessful.
Butler spent part of one season with Philadelphia before coming over the Heat. His time with Miami has been a smashing success so far, and many Heat fans are hoping for a big 2021-22 season out of him.
Unless the Sixers find a trade for Simmons over the next few weeks, the team is likely going to have to navigate through the early stages of its season without Simmons and without any potential assets that would come over in a deal involving him.
Embiid will likely have to carry a major load for Philadelphia if that’s the case. The four-time All-Star is capable of carrying the Sixers to some wins, but the team can’t expect him to do so all season long.
