Ben Simmons Turns Heads With a LeBron James-Themed Instagram Post: A 76ers Reunion Pitch?
Ben Simmons wants you to know he has been paying attention. The unrestricted free agent posted an Instagram story featuring LeBron James’ signature Nike sneakers this week, just days after James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, the same franchise that drafted Simmons number one overall in 2016.
It is not subtle. Simmons and James share the same agent in Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul. James just took the last big free agent contract available to the 76ers. Simmons has been openly angling for a return to Philadelphia for the better part of a year. The Instagram post is a public message to both James and the 76ers front office. He wants to come back.
The question is whether Philly wants him back. The 76ers have one open roster spot remaining, and Simmons at his healthiest is still a useful player. He is a plus defender at multiple positions, a good passer, and a rim finisher when he actually attacks. His problems have never been about the physical tools.
His problems have been about the head. The 2021 second-round series against Atlanta broke something in Simmons that never got repaired. He held out to force his way out of Philadelphia. He sat out an entire season with what he described as mental health issues, though the team disputed the framing. He was traded to Brooklyn, could not get back on the court there, and eventually ended up as a rotational piece with the Clippers.
Now he is 29 years old, healthier than he has been in years, and looking for a job on a team that could theoretically use him. The Sixers front office has some real thinking to do. Bringing Simmons back would be either a redemption arc or a distraction from the LeBron and Embiid era, and there is no in between.
From James’ perspective, adding a familiar face like Simmons who plays the position James no longer needs to occupy at his age makes some real basketball sense. Simmons as a screen-and-roll partner alongside LeBron and Maxey is an intriguing offensive picture. Simmons as a wing defender is exactly the type of piece the Sixers need to reach the Finals.
From the fanbase’s perspective, this is going to be complicated. Philadelphia fans do not forgive easily, and the way the Simmons era ended in Philly was as ugly as it gets. He was booed relentlessly the last time he returned to town. Whether that hostility fades if he is on the Sixers again is an open question.
The Instagram story is not a signing announcement. It is a lobby. It is Simmons and by extension Rich Paul telling the 76ers they are interested. Now Daryl Morey has to decide if the upside is worth the noise.
Do not be surprised if this ends up happening. Do not be surprised if it does not. Either way, Simmons made sure his name is back in the conversation this week.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
