Ben Simmons missed the Philadelphia 76ers final preseason game against the Detroit Pistons on Friday night due to what the team referred to as “reconditioning”. The player did not travel with his teammates to Detroit for the game.
While Simmons has missed training camp as well as the preseason games due to his offseason trade demands and subsequent holdout, he has been declared eligible to play for the 76ers once again. He has also cleared all of the health protocols required to represent the 76ers on the court.
Following the trade request controversy, during which Simmons refused to play for the 76ers in an effort to push for a move in the offseason, the player met with coach Doc Rivers on Tuesday. The meeting seems to have yielded positive results now that Simmons has returned to the team.
Simmons, a three-time All-Star, currently has four years and $147 million left on his current contract. He was one of several players to miss the 108-112 defeat to the Pistons, along with Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Danny Green, Shake Milton, and Matisse Thybulle.
