The breakup was loud. It was messy. Honestly, it was probably the most public "divorce" in modern basketball history. When we look back at the Ben Simmons Philadelphia 76ers era, it feels like a fever dream now, especially with Ben reportedly taking a break from the league in 2026 to run a pro fishing team in Miami.
But for five years, he was the crown jewel of "The Process." He was the 6'10" point guard who could outrun guards and outmuscle centers.
Then came the pass. You know the one.
June 20, 2021. Game 7 against the Hawks. Ben has a wide-open dunk to tie the game late in the fourth. Instead, he passes it to Matisse Thybulle. The Wells Fargo Center went silent, then it went nuclear. That single moment didn't just lose a game; it shattered a franchise's soul and ended the Ben Simmons Philadelphia 76ers relationship forever.
The Rise of a Unicorn in Philly
People forget how good he actually was. Seriously. We get so caught up in the shooting drama that we overlook the fact that Ben was a three-time All-Star by age 24.
He didn't just play for the Sixers; he was their engine. In his rookie year (2017-18), he averaged 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.2 assists. He won Rookie of the Year in a landslide. He was the next LeBron. Or at least, that's what the billboards said.
The fit with Joel Embiid was always a bit clunky, like trying to fit two grand pianos into a studio apartment. They both wanted the paint. They both needed the ball. Yet, they won. They won a lot. In 2020-21, they led the Sixers to the #1 seed in the East. Ben was the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year. He was arguably the best perimeter defender on the planet, capable of switching from Trae Young to Giannis Antetokounmpo without breaking a sweat.
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Why the Ben Simmons Philadelphia 76ers Marriage Collapsed
It wasn't just the Hawks series. That's the common misconception. The friction had been building for years, mostly behind the scenes.
The front office had dangled Ben in trade talks for James Harden back in January 2021. Imagine showing up to work and finding out your boss tried to swap you for a guy in Brooklyn, only for the deal to fall through. Ben later admitted that "rubbed him the wrong way." It’s hard to play for a team when you know they already tried to pack your bags.
Then the playoffs happened.
The Washington series in the first round exposed a terrifying flaw: Ben couldn't make a free throw. He went 10-for-28. Teams realized they could just whack him, send him to the line, and watch him struggle. By the time the Hawks series rolled around, he was playing with a "mental ghost" on his shoulder. He stopped shooting entirely in fourth quarters.
- Game 4: 0 shots in the 4th.
- Game 5: 0 shots in the 4th.
- Game 6: 0 shots in the 4th.
- Game 7: The infamous pass.
When Doc Rivers was asked after Game 7 if Ben could be a point guard on a championship team and he answered, "I don't know," the bridge wasn't just burned—it was vaporized.
The Holdout and the Fines
What followed was a cold war. Ben requested a trade and refused to show up to training camp for the 2021-22 season. The Sixers started docking his pay. We're talking millions. Every missed game was a massive chunk of change.
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The team claimed he was breaching his contract; Ben’s camp, led by Rich Paul at the time, cited mental health struggles. He eventually showed up in October, famously practicing with a cell phone in his pocket and refusing to join a team huddle. Doc Rivers kicked him out of practice. It was high school drama on a $177 million stage.
The Trade That Changed Everything
In February 2022, Daryl Morey finally pulled the trigger. He sent Ben, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond to the Brooklyn Nets for James Harden.
Philly fans celebrated like they’d won the Super Bowl. They thought they’d finally "fixed" the roster. But the irony? Ben didn't play a single minute for the Nets that season. Back issues—specifically a herniated disc that eventually required surgery—coupled with the ongoing mental health recovery kept him sidelined.
Meanwhile, the Sixers moved on to the Harden-Embiid era, which... also didn't result in a ring. Funny how that works.
Setting the Record Straight on the Stats
If you look at his Philly tenure objectively, the numbers are actually staggering for a "bust":
- Games played: 275
- Career high in Philly: 34 points against Cleveland in 2019.
- Triple-doubles: 32 (leading the franchise by a mile).
- All-Defensive First Team: Twice.
He was a floor-raiser. He made everyone faster. He made the defense elite. But in the playoffs, the game slows down. The half-court sets become a chess match. And if your point guard won't look at the rim, you're playing 4-on-5. That was the ceiling the Ben Simmons Philadelphia 76ers experiment couldn't break through.
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Where is Ben Now?
It’s 2026. The landscape is totally different. After a stint with the Brooklyn Nets and a brief run with the LA Clippers, Ben's career has taken a back seat to his health and business interests.
Reports from early 2026 suggest he’s found peace away from the "Philly pressure cooker." He recently bought a 50% stake in the South Florida Sails, a professional fishing team. It’s a wild pivot, but maybe it makes sense. On the water, nobody cares if you can't shoot a jump shot.
Interestingly, there were rumors of "overtures" between Ben and the Sixers in late 2025 after he was bought out by the Nets. Reports surfaced that he and Joel Embiid had actually repaired their relationship. It’s crazy to think about, but in the NBA, time heals everything—or at least makes the cap space work.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
Looking back at the Ben Simmons Philadelphia 76ers saga offers a few "real world" lessons on team building and talent management:
- Drafting for Fit vs. Talent: Philly took the best talent available in 2016. But talent without a complementary skill set (shooting) creates a hard ceiling in the modern NBA.
- Mental Health in Pro Sports: The Simmons saga was a turning point for how the league handles mental health. Whether you believe his claims or not, it forced a conversation about the "invisible" injuries players face.
- The "Buy Low" Opportunity: If you're looking for Simmons-esque value in 2026, look for high-level defenders who are being undervalued because of one specific offensive flaw. The "Ben Simmons Blueprint" shows that these players can win you 50 games in the regular season, but you need a secondary playmaker to survive May and June.
The story of Ben in Philly is a tragedy of "what ifs." What if he dunked on Trae? What if the Sixers hadn't tried to trade him for Harden the first time? We'll never know. We just have the highlights, the fines, and that one haunting pass.