Ramona Shelburne Says 76ers Are Frustrated With Ben Simmons Because He Won't Accept The Team's Help In Addressing His Mental Unreadiness To Play

Bleacher Report

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Many people thought that Ben Simmons would be traded by the 76ers ahead of the season. But with the lack of good trade packages for the 3-time All-Star, the 76ers have held onto him thus far.

Ben Simmons has not yet played a game for the franchise this season, and it was previously reported that Ben Simmons told coach Doc Rivers and his teammates that he was not "mentally ready" to suit up.

Ramona Shelburne has recently revealed that the 76ers are frustrated with the fact that Ben Simmons has thus far refused "organizational assistance" in helping him get ready to play. She did however add that Ben Simmons has met with mental health professionals provided by the NBPA.

The Philadelphia 76ers are increasingly frustrated with Ben Simmons' refusal to accept organizational assistance to address his mental readiness to play, sources told ESPN.

While Simmons has been working with team doctors to treat a back ailment, he has been unwilling to meet with team doctors to discuss his mental readiness, sources said.

Instead, sources said, Simmons has worked with mental health professionals via the National Basketball Players Association since the summer. So far Simmons has yet to provide details of those meetings to the team, sources said.

While Ben Simmons hasn't yet disclosed the details of his meetings with the aforementioned professionals, Shelburne said that sources close to Simmons stated that he would provide updates once he was comfortable with doing so.

Sources close to Simmons told ESPN they expect to provide the team with updates on his progress once he is comfortable doing so.

It remains to be seen how this situation will develop. Mental health is an important issue, and hopefully, Ben Simmons gets the help he needs in order to get back on the court.

Perhaps a new start could be helpful for Ben Simmons, but there has been no reported progress on any trade. The 76ers have made it clear that they won't just trade Ben Simmons for any package, and we'll see if any team will muster up the assets to get him.