After several months of absence, the Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons returned to action in Monday night’s 147-114 win over the Utah Jazz. And it was quite a comeback for Simmons, as he almost put up a triple-double in just 18 minutes on the floor.

Simmons hasn’t played since early November, dealing with a lingering back issue. He started the game against the Jazz on the bench and was on a minutes restriction, but that didn’t stop him from making an immediate impact.

The former All-Star was aggressive on both sides of the ball while setting up his teammates for easy points, especially in the first quarter, which saw him get six assists. Simmons finished the game with 10 points, eight rebounds, and 11 assists while adding one steal and one block.

Speaking with reporters after the game, Simmons said that he believes he had a successful return, but mainly because his team ended up winning.

“We got the win, so yes,” Simmons said via ESPN. “That’s the main objective for me, and that’s really all I care about.”

If Simmons continues to play this way and manages to stay healthy, he could be a valuable addition to the Nets as they look to turn around their disappointing first half of the 2023-24 season. Brooklyn team has won just three out of their last 10 games and currently sits at No. 10 in the Eastern Conference with a 19-27 record.

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The Brooklyn Nets’ point guard Ben Simmons is set for yet another spell on the sidelines. The team announced that Simmons is dealing with a nerve impingement in his back and will be out indefinitely.

Simmons has a history of back injuries, which caused him to miss the entire 2021-22 campaign and limited him to just 42 games last season. The 27-year-old player looked on track to bounce back in 2023-24 before the issue resurfaced after the game against the Chicago Bulls in early November.

Simmons, who has now missed four straight games, is averaging 6.5 points and 6.7 assists to go with a career-high 10.8 rebounds this season.

Speaking with reporters earlier this week, Nets’ head coach Jacque Vaughn said he is keeping a positive attitude and hopes Simmons will be cleared to return to action in a week.

“You know, these athletes, they want to play, and they want to contribute. And no athlete wants to be hurt. And this is not something he has asked for, not something that he wants,” said Vaughn. “We were trying at the time to really get our group whole and healthy and form an identity together, and he’s a part of that identity. And Ben has brought an element to our team that is irreplaceable because of the style that he plays with and the things that he helps benefit our team in doing.”

The Nets currently have a winning record, sitting at No.7 in the Eastern Conference. With Simmons out, veteran Spencer Dinwiddie is expected to be the team’s primary ball handler and playmaker while Dennis Smith Jr. might also get a bigger role.

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The Brooklyn Nets still haven’t given up on three-time All-Star Ben Simmons despite his struggles since joining the team in 2022. Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Nets’ general manager Sean Marks said that he believes Simmons will bounce back and put on a much better display this upcoming season.

According to Marks, Simmons is in a better physical shape than he ever was during his time in Brooklyn, and the Nets plan to “unleash” him when the 2023-24 campaign starts.

“Let’s not dwell on the past, he’s feeling confident about where he is physically,” Marks said. “This is more like, get out here, support him and unleash him. If he’s feeling great, then let him go.”

Simmons landed in Brooklyn midway through the 2021-22 season in a trade that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers. But the move worked out poorly for the Nets so far, as Simmons couldn’t stay healthy and performed poorly when available.

Back injury prevented Simmons from playing a single game for the Nets in 2021-22, and the same issue on top of knee soreness limited him to 42 games last season. The former first-overall pick finished the campaign averaging 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.

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All-Star point guard Ben Simmons left the Philadelphia 76ers in a controversial fashion, forcing a trade to the Brooklyn Nets in 2022. But despite this, Simmons wouldn’t mind putting on the 76ers’ jersey once again in the future.

During a recent interview with Marc Spears, Simmons said that if the Nets were to trade him, his preferred destination would be Philadelphia.

“I’ll always have love for Philly. People always ask me like, ‘If you were to get traded again, where would you want it to be?’ I always say, ‘Just Philly. Philly is a second home to me,’” said Simmons. “And in time, you learn and grow as people. I don’t really have anything bad to say about Philly. It was a crazy situation at the end, but it is what it is.”

The 76ers drafted Simmons with the first overall pick in 2016 and viewed him as the next franchise star. The LSU product initially delivered on the expectations, making three All-Star appearances and helping the team to become a regular playoff fixture in the Eastern Conference alongside Joel Embiid.

However, after receiving criticism for his performance in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, Simmons’ relationship with the franchise turned south, and he asked to be traded. He ended up missing the entire 2021-22 campaign and was sent to the Nets as part of the trade that landed James Harden in Philly.

Simmons struggled following his return to the court in 2022-23, being limited to 42 games due to a back injury. He averaged a career-low 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.

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Brooklyn Nets’ Ben Simmons hasn’t played a lot of baseball in 2023, but that could change in the summer. According to ESPN’s Adrian Windhorst, Simmons wants to play for Team Australia at the upcoming 2023 FIBA World Cup. 

Currently, the only obstacle for Simmons in making his wish come true is his health. The 26-year-old player has been dealing with a back injury for the better part of the 2022-23 season and is still rehabbing.

The 2023 FIBA World Cup, hosted by the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia, starts on August 25. In case Simmons manages to recover, it would be his first appearance for Team Australia in a decade. He last played for the national side in 2013 at the 2013 FIBA Oceania Championship.

After the reports came out, Team Australia head coach Brian Goorjian said in a radio interview on Friday that there is hope Simmons will return to the national side.

“I think his mindset is getting healthy, getting in shape, and getting ready to play in this [World Cup],” Goorjian said. “There were unfortunate circumstances [why he didn’t play at the Olympics], but I feel like he is going to make himself available.”

Simmons endured a rough 2022-23 campaign, his first with the Nets. He was limited to 42 games and averaged 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists, all career-lows.

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The Brooklyn Nets issued an update on their injured guard Ben Simmons on Friday, and it was all but optimistic. According to the team, Simmons has “nerve impingement in his back” and will remain out of action indefinitely.

While the Nets haven’t officially shut down Simmons for the season, multiple reports indicate that the franchise doesn’t expect him to return before the season ends. 

It is unclear how motivated the Nets are to get Simmons on the floor or whether he can help them. The 26-year-old has struggled in the 2022-23 season, averaging 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game, all career lows. He also saw his playing time dip, averaging 26.3 minutes per contest.

Simmons was considered a key asset that Brooklyn received in a trade that saw James Harden make his way to the Philadelphia 76ers. At the time, the Nets thought they were getting a premier defensive presence and playmaking abilities that would fit well with their stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

Now, Simmons is seen more like a burden for the Nets, especially considering that he has two years remaining on the five-year, $177.2 million deal he inked in 2019 with the 76ers. Considering that Irving and Durant are both gone, don’t be surprised if Brooklyn tries to get Simmons out of the building too in the summer and have a clean slate.

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The most intriguing storyline of this year’s NBA offseason is receiving a new chapter. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Philadelphia 76ers’ disgruntled All-Star Ben Simmons has changed his stance and became more open to rejoining the team.

Simmons asked the 76ers to trade him in the summer and has remained away from the franchise through training camp and so far in the preseason. Previous reports indicated that the 25-year-old guard is determined not to play for the franchise anymore, but it appears that isn’t the case anymore.

Wojnarowski reports that Simmons’ representatives and the 76ers had positive talks over the weekend and that the player is willing to have a sit-down with Philly’s brass. If everything goes well, he could rejoin the team “as soon as this week.”

The 76ers were ready to respect Simmons’ request but were unable to find an acceptable trade offer. Most teams were willing to offer a picks-heavy package, while Philadelphia is interested in a deal that would include a star player and help them remain championship contenders.

When Simmons didn’t report to the team, the 76ers decided to withhold part of his salary and put the money in escrow. They proceeded to fine him for every preseason game he missed, and the total is $1 million as of Monday. In case Simmons comes back, he will get the remainder of the money left in escrow.

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The Philadelphia 76ers are still holding on All-Star guard Ben Simmons despite the player requesting a trade earlier in the offseason. The 76ers front office reportedly wants a significant haul to consider any deal for Simmons, and these demands have put off many of the interested teams. Well, except the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Cavaliers have made several approaches to the 76ers for Simmons in the past but haven’t managed to get a deal over the line. However, according to influential NBA correspondent Marc Stein, the Cavs don’t intend to quit so easily.

In his recent NBA Power Rankings piece, Stein said that league sources tell him Cleveland remains very interested in landing Simmons and will continue to make a push to land a player that would significantly speed up their rebuild process.

As Stein points out, Cleveland has the assets to make a deal for Simmons. They own all of their first-round picks moving forward and also have several young and exciting players that they might offer to Philly. This includes Lauri Markkanen, who signed a team-friendly contract with the franchise this offseason, and backcourt duo Darius Garland and Collin Sexton.

Another route that the Cavs might go is including Kevin Love in the deal for Simmons. Love still has two years on his four-year, $120 million contract but doesn’t seem to fit in the team’s plans, especially with an abundance of talented youngsters, such as this year’s No. 3 pick Evan Mobley, playing on his position.

It remains to be seen whether the Cavaliers can make an offer that will entice the 76ers. Philly’s president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is reportedly keeping his eyes on a superstar players like Bradley Beal or Damian Lillard and will hardly want to settle for anything else.

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Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid took to Twitter on Tuesday to set the record straight on the reported “rift” between him and teammate Ben Simmons. In a series of tweets, Embiid denied the reports while also stating that he loves playing with Simmons.

In an opinion piece published by USA Today, reporter Jeff Zillgitt at one point wrote that “Simmons-Embiid rift had been escalating” and cited “a person with knowledge of the situation” as his source. He also added that this forced Philly to choose between the two All-Stars and that the organization ended up favoring Embiid.

This didn’t sit well with Embiid, who retweeted the quote from the article and shared a lengthy response to the report.

“I love playing with Ben. Stats don’t lie. He’s an amazing player, and we all didn’t get the job done,” Embiid wrote.

Embiid followed this with a series of other tweets in which he accused the media of “making up stuff for followers” and reminded Philly fans about the times they booed him while telling them they “also gotta be better”.

“For clarity, I love the criticism, I love when I’m told I can’t do something. It makes me work harder to prove everyone wrong, but not everyone is built like that,” Embiid concluded his social media rant.

While Joel Embiid is fresh from his best season in the NBA, finishing second in MVP voting for 2020-21, Ben Simmons had his worst season as a pro.

Simmons finished the regular season with career-lows in points (14.3), rebounds (7.2), and assists (6.9). He followed this up with a meltdown in the postseason, managing only 11.9 points per game. The 25-year-old star especially struggled in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks, passing on open shots and failing to attempt a single fourth-quarter field goal in four of the seven games of the series.

During the offseason, Simmons reportedly approached the 76ers and asked them to trade him. The organization explored ways to accommodate his request but failed to find a trade they like so far.

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Philadelphia 76ers will be at full strength if and when the 2019/20 NBA season resumes. According to 76ers’ general manager Elton Brand, their All-Star point guard Ben Simmons is getting “close or ready” to return to action after dealing with a back injury.

Simmons played his last game in February, before being sidelined due to nerve issues in his lower back. Initially, he was ruled out indefinitely, with 76ers fearing that he might be forced out to sit out the rest of the season. But the season suspension due to coronavirus pandemic might allow the 23-year-old to help out Philly in the playoffs.

“We’ve took our time, we’ve been methodical and thoughtful about his recovery and rehab, just to make sure, because we weren’t in a rush,” Brand told the media on Tuesday when asked about Simmons’ return. “It’s hard to speculate. He’s been working hard, and I know he’d be close or ready.”

Despite Philly’s struggles this season, Ben Simmons was in the middle of another productive season in which he earned his second consecutive All-Star appearance. In 54 games he played in 2019/20, Simmons averaged 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists while leading the league in steals with 2.1 steals per game.

76ers should also have their All-Star center Joel Embiid ready in case the NBA resumes its season. Embiid dealt with hand and shoulder issues before, but is now fully recovered.

“He’s asking about when his trainer can come in,” said Brand about Embiid. “I wouldn’t bet against him. He’s going to be ready and ramped up.”

Philadelphia 76ers are currently sixth in the East, being 14.0 games behind the first seeded Milwaukee Bucks.

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After several months of absence, the Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons returned to action in Monday night’s 147-114 win over the Utah Jazz. And it was quite a comeback for Simmons, as he almost put up a triple-double in just 18 minutes on the floor.

Simmons hasn’t played since early November, dealing with a lingering back issue. He started the game against the Jazz on the bench and was on a minutes restriction, but that didn’t stop him from making an immediate impact.

The former All-Star was aggressive on both sides of the ball while setting up his teammates for easy points, especially in the first quarter, which saw him get six assists. Simmons finished the game with 10 points, eight rebounds, and 11 assists while adding one steal and one block.

Speaking with reporters after the game, Simmons said that he believes he had a successful return, but mainly because his team ended up winning.

“We got the win, so yes,” Simmons said via ESPN. “That’s the main objective for me, and that’s really all I care about.”

If Simmons continues to play this way and manages to stay healthy, he could be a valuable addition to the Nets as they look to turn around their disappointing first half of the 2023-24 season. Brooklyn team has won just three out of their last 10 games and currently sits at No. 10 in the Eastern Conference with a 19-27 record.

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The Brooklyn Nets’ point guard Ben Simmons is set for yet another spell on the sidelines. The team announced that Simmons is dealing with a nerve impingement in his back and will be out indefinitely.

Simmons has a history of back injuries, which caused him to miss the entire 2021-22 campaign and limited him to just 42 games last season. The 27-year-old player looked on track to bounce back in 2023-24 before the issue resurfaced after the game against the Chicago Bulls in early November.

Simmons, who has now missed four straight games, is averaging 6.5 points and 6.7 assists to go with a career-high 10.8 rebounds this season.

Speaking with reporters earlier this week, Nets’ head coach Jacque Vaughn said he is keeping a positive attitude and hopes Simmons will be cleared to return to action in a week.

“You know, these athletes, they want to play, and they want to contribute. And no athlete wants to be hurt. And this is not something he has asked for, not something that he wants,” said Vaughn. “We were trying at the time to really get our group whole and healthy and form an identity together, and he’s a part of that identity. And Ben has brought an element to our team that is irreplaceable because of the style that he plays with and the things that he helps benefit our team in doing.”

The Nets currently have a winning record, sitting at No.7 in the Eastern Conference. With Simmons out, veteran Spencer Dinwiddie is expected to be the team’s primary ball handler and playmaker while Dennis Smith Jr. might also get a bigger role.

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The Brooklyn Nets still haven’t given up on three-time All-Star Ben Simmons despite his struggles since joining the team in 2022. Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Nets’ general manager Sean Marks said that he believes Simmons will bounce back and put on a much better display this upcoming season.

According to Marks, Simmons is in a better physical shape than he ever was during his time in Brooklyn, and the Nets plan to “unleash” him when the 2023-24 campaign starts.

“Let’s not dwell on the past, he’s feeling confident about where he is physically,” Marks said. “This is more like, get out here, support him and unleash him. If he’s feeling great, then let him go.”

Simmons landed in Brooklyn midway through the 2021-22 season in a trade that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers. But the move worked out poorly for the Nets so far, as Simmons couldn’t stay healthy and performed poorly when available.

Back injury prevented Simmons from playing a single game for the Nets in 2021-22, and the same issue on top of knee soreness limited him to 42 games last season. The former first-overall pick finished the campaign averaging 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.

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All-Star point guard Ben Simmons left the Philadelphia 76ers in a controversial fashion, forcing a trade to the Brooklyn Nets in 2022. But despite this, Simmons wouldn’t mind putting on the 76ers’ jersey once again in the future.

During a recent interview with Marc Spears, Simmons said that if the Nets were to trade him, his preferred destination would be Philadelphia.

“I’ll always have love for Philly. People always ask me like, ‘If you were to get traded again, where would you want it to be?’ I always say, ‘Just Philly. Philly is a second home to me,’” said Simmons. “And in time, you learn and grow as people. I don’t really have anything bad to say about Philly. It was a crazy situation at the end, but it is what it is.”

The 76ers drafted Simmons with the first overall pick in 2016 and viewed him as the next franchise star. The LSU product initially delivered on the expectations, making three All-Star appearances and helping the team to become a regular playoff fixture in the Eastern Conference alongside Joel Embiid.

However, after receiving criticism for his performance in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, Simmons’ relationship with the franchise turned south, and he asked to be traded. He ended up missing the entire 2021-22 campaign and was sent to the Nets as part of the trade that landed James Harden in Philly.

Simmons struggled following his return to the court in 2022-23, being limited to 42 games due to a back injury. He averaged a career-low 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.

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Brooklyn Nets’ Ben Simmons hasn’t played a lot of baseball in 2023, but that could change in the summer. According to ESPN’s Adrian Windhorst, Simmons wants to play for Team Australia at the upcoming 2023 FIBA World Cup. 

Currently, the only obstacle for Simmons in making his wish come true is his health. The 26-year-old player has been dealing with a back injury for the better part of the 2022-23 season and is still rehabbing.

The 2023 FIBA World Cup, hosted by the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia, starts on August 25. In case Simmons manages to recover, it would be his first appearance for Team Australia in a decade. He last played for the national side in 2013 at the 2013 FIBA Oceania Championship.

After the reports came out, Team Australia head coach Brian Goorjian said in a radio interview on Friday that there is hope Simmons will return to the national side.

“I think his mindset is getting healthy, getting in shape, and getting ready to play in this [World Cup],” Goorjian said. “There were unfortunate circumstances [why he didn’t play at the Olympics], but I feel like he is going to make himself available.”

Simmons endured a rough 2022-23 campaign, his first with the Nets. He was limited to 42 games and averaged 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists, all career-lows.

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The Brooklyn Nets issued an update on their injured guard Ben Simmons on Friday, and it was all but optimistic. According to the team, Simmons has “nerve impingement in his back” and will remain out of action indefinitely.

While the Nets haven’t officially shut down Simmons for the season, multiple reports indicate that the franchise doesn’t expect him to return before the season ends. 

It is unclear how motivated the Nets are to get Simmons on the floor or whether he can help them. The 26-year-old has struggled in the 2022-23 season, averaging 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game, all career lows. He also saw his playing time dip, averaging 26.3 minutes per contest.

Simmons was considered a key asset that Brooklyn received in a trade that saw James Harden make his way to the Philadelphia 76ers. At the time, the Nets thought they were getting a premier defensive presence and playmaking abilities that would fit well with their stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

Now, Simmons is seen more like a burden for the Nets, especially considering that he has two years remaining on the five-year, $177.2 million deal he inked in 2019 with the 76ers. Considering that Irving and Durant are both gone, don’t be surprised if Brooklyn tries to get Simmons out of the building too in the summer and have a clean slate.

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The most intriguing storyline of this year’s NBA offseason is receiving a new chapter. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Philadelphia 76ers’ disgruntled All-Star Ben Simmons has changed his stance and became more open to rejoining the team.

Simmons asked the 76ers to trade him in the summer and has remained away from the franchise through training camp and so far in the preseason. Previous reports indicated that the 25-year-old guard is determined not to play for the franchise anymore, but it appears that isn’t the case anymore.

Wojnarowski reports that Simmons’ representatives and the 76ers had positive talks over the weekend and that the player is willing to have a sit-down with Philly’s brass. If everything goes well, he could rejoin the team “as soon as this week.”

The 76ers were ready to respect Simmons’ request but were unable to find an acceptable trade offer. Most teams were willing to offer a picks-heavy package, while Philadelphia is interested in a deal that would include a star player and help them remain championship contenders.

When Simmons didn’t report to the team, the 76ers decided to withhold part of his salary and put the money in escrow. They proceeded to fine him for every preseason game he missed, and the total is $1 million as of Monday. In case Simmons comes back, he will get the remainder of the money left in escrow.

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The Philadelphia 76ers are still holding on All-Star guard Ben Simmons despite the player requesting a trade earlier in the offseason. The 76ers front office reportedly wants a significant haul to consider any deal for Simmons, and these demands have put off many of the interested teams. Well, except the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Cavaliers have made several approaches to the 76ers for Simmons in the past but haven’t managed to get a deal over the line. However, according to influential NBA correspondent Marc Stein, the Cavs don’t intend to quit so easily.

In his recent NBA Power Rankings piece, Stein said that league sources tell him Cleveland remains very interested in landing Simmons and will continue to make a push to land a player that would significantly speed up their rebuild process.

As Stein points out, Cleveland has the assets to make a deal for Simmons. They own all of their first-round picks moving forward and also have several young and exciting players that they might offer to Philly. This includes Lauri Markkanen, who signed a team-friendly contract with the franchise this offseason, and backcourt duo Darius Garland and Collin Sexton.

Another route that the Cavs might go is including Kevin Love in the deal for Simmons. Love still has two years on his four-year, $120 million contract but doesn’t seem to fit in the team’s plans, especially with an abundance of talented youngsters, such as this year’s No. 3 pick Evan Mobley, playing on his position.

It remains to be seen whether the Cavaliers can make an offer that will entice the 76ers. Philly’s president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is reportedly keeping his eyes on a superstar players like Bradley Beal or Damian Lillard and will hardly want to settle for anything else.

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Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid took to Twitter on Tuesday to set the record straight on the reported “rift” between him and teammate Ben Simmons. In a series of tweets, Embiid denied the reports while also stating that he loves playing with Simmons.

In an opinion piece published by USA Today, reporter Jeff Zillgitt at one point wrote that “Simmons-Embiid rift had been escalating” and cited “a person with knowledge of the situation” as his source. He also added that this forced Philly to choose between the two All-Stars and that the organization ended up favoring Embiid.

This didn’t sit well with Embiid, who retweeted the quote from the article and shared a lengthy response to the report.

“I love playing with Ben. Stats don’t lie. He’s an amazing player, and we all didn’t get the job done,” Embiid wrote.

Embiid followed this with a series of other tweets in which he accused the media of “making up stuff for followers” and reminded Philly fans about the times they booed him while telling them they “also gotta be better”.

“For clarity, I love the criticism, I love when I’m told I can’t do something. It makes me work harder to prove everyone wrong, but not everyone is built like that,” Embiid concluded his social media rant.

While Joel Embiid is fresh from his best season in the NBA, finishing second in MVP voting for 2020-21, Ben Simmons had his worst season as a pro.

Simmons finished the regular season with career-lows in points (14.3), rebounds (7.2), and assists (6.9). He followed this up with a meltdown in the postseason, managing only 11.9 points per game. The 25-year-old star especially struggled in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks, passing on open shots and failing to attempt a single fourth-quarter field goal in four of the seven games of the series.

During the offseason, Simmons reportedly approached the 76ers and asked them to trade him. The organization explored ways to accommodate his request but failed to find a trade they like so far.

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Philadelphia 76ers will be at full strength if and when the 2019/20 NBA season resumes. According to 76ers’ general manager Elton Brand, their All-Star point guard Ben Simmons is getting “close or ready” to return to action after dealing with a back injury.

Simmons played his last game in February, before being sidelined due to nerve issues in his lower back. Initially, he was ruled out indefinitely, with 76ers fearing that he might be forced out to sit out the rest of the season. But the season suspension due to coronavirus pandemic might allow the 23-year-old to help out Philly in the playoffs.

“We’ve took our time, we’ve been methodical and thoughtful about his recovery and rehab, just to make sure, because we weren’t in a rush,” Brand told the media on Tuesday when asked about Simmons’ return. “It’s hard to speculate. He’s been working hard, and I know he’d be close or ready.”

Despite Philly’s struggles this season, Ben Simmons was in the middle of another productive season in which he earned his second consecutive All-Star appearance. In 54 games he played in 2019/20, Simmons averaged 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists while leading the league in steals with 2.1 steals per game.

76ers should also have their All-Star center Joel Embiid ready in case the NBA resumes its season. Embiid dealt with hand and shoulder issues before, but is now fully recovered.

“He’s asking about when his trainer can come in,” said Brand about Embiid. “I wouldn’t bet against him. He’s going to be ready and ramped up.”

Philadelphia 76ers are currently sixth in the East, being 14.0 games behind the first seeded Milwaukee Bucks.

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