New York (AFP)
Philadelphia and coach Doc Rivers are in talks with Ben Simmons' agent about returning the player to the NBA franchise "starting this week," ESPN announced Monday.
The Australian star should resume dialogue with the management of the club, which he has not done since the end of August, says the American media on its site.
The 25-year-old point guard, who arrived in Philadelphia in 2016, recently asked to leave the club, and had warned executives he would not show up to the preseason training camp, angering his teammate Joel Embiid , another star of the franchise.
"The situation is disappointing, it is borderline a lack of respect for all the guys who fight in the team as if their life depended on it", reacted the Cameroonian at the end of September.
The future of Simmons in Philadelphia has taken a lead in the wing since the semifinals of the Eastern Conference of the play-offs lost against Atlanta (4-3) to everyone's surprise, last June.
His poor performance in the last minutes of Game 7 was particularly singled out.
The 76ers coach has since defended his player: "I miss him, I've always defended him. I love the way he plays," said Rivers.
ESPN added Monday that franchise chairman Daryl Morey and Rivers "now hope to convince Simmons to stay at Philadelphia for the long haul."
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