Philadelphia 76Ers

The NBA trade deadline passes on Thursday – in theory meaning an end to Simmons gossip at least until the end of the season.

Led by MVP candidate Joel Embiid, the 76ers are an impressive fifth in the Eastern Conference despite being without second man Simmons for the whole year so far.

The former number one overall pick has been the subject of trade talk for over a year and has actively pushed for a trade since before this season started.

The 76ers have not yet managed to find a deal that suits them, although the looming deadline may focus minds.

Potential trade options are seemingly decreasing, however, with the Sacramento Kings pulling out of talks and the Washington Wizards' Bradley Beal out for the year.

That might mean Simmons staying in Philly, but Rivers is just keen to get to the end of the week regardless.

"Absolutely," Rivers said of anticipating the deadline. "Especially this year, just because of the situation we're in.

"I know our guys are NBA players and all that, but they're human.

"I can't imagine the amount of names that have been thrown in. So every single guy goes to bed tonight thinking this may be his last night or whatever, so that's tough. It really is."

Should Simmons go elsewhere or stay on the sideline, the Sixers will require reinforcements at point guard. Rivers said the team "have to" add depth behind Tyrese Maxey, a breakout star in Simmons' absence.

But there is also the possibility Simmons himself could be the man to bolster Rivers' roster, making an improbable return to action.

Team-mate Embiid said after Tuesday's defeat to the Phoenix Suns: "Like I've been saying since the season started, I'm happy.

"Whoever wants to play is welcome. If someone wants to play, they're welcome. But we've got guys here that want to be here, that show up every single night."

The center was speaking in response to a question on Simmons, who he criticised following last year's playoff loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

In a lengthy answer, Embiid added: "If you want to be part of us, I am sure everybody is going to be fine with it, but you've got to show up. You've got to want to be there. And I'm sure everybody is going to accept whoever that is."

Rivers was speaking on Wednesday, in response to reports Simmons told the 76ers he will not attend training camp next week and does not plan to play for the team again.

It comes after Simmons' forgettable playoff campaign with the 76ers last season – the 25-year-old Australian failed to impress in the shock Eastern Conference semi-final loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Amid reported interest from the likes of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers, Rivers discussed Simmons' future in Philadelphia.

"I mean it was a good conversation," Rivers told ESPN when asked if Simmons had made it known that he wanted out of Philadelphia.

"He gave his reasons, which we obviously didn't agree with. But you know, in sports, there's been so many times this has happened that hasn't been reported and the guy comes back.

"Listen, we're going to go through it, we're going to always do what's best for the team, but I can tell you up front, we would love to get Ben back.

"And if we can, we're going to try to do that. You know, Ben has a long contract. It's in our hands and we want him back."

A three-time All-Star and elite defender, Simmons and his shooting problems were laid bare during the 2021 postseason with the top-seeded 76ers.

Former number one draft pick Simmons had no fourth-quarter field-goal attempts in his last four games of the playoffs last season. He is the only NBA player in the last 20 seasons to have four consecutive postseason games with no field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter during a season in which he was an All-Star.

Simmons averaged just 10.1 field-goal attempts in 2020-21 – a career low, which dropped to 7.9 in the playoffs. It is the same story with his scoring as it dropped to a career worst 14.3 points per game and 11.9 in the postseason – both career lows.

Then there is Simmons and free throws. He was exposed by rival teams as they regularly sent him to the line, with the Melbourne-born guard making just 25 of 73 shots in the 2020-21 playoffs. His 34.2 free-throw percentage is the lowest ever in a single postseason.

Rivers also tried to clarify comments he made following Philadelphia's elimination at the hands of the Hawks in June.

After the 76ers' failed run at a first NBA title since 1983, Rivers was asked if he thought Simmons could be a guard on a championship team, and he replied: "I don't know the answer to that right now."

On Wednesday, Rivers said: "I want to correct that. I would love you guys to play what I said, because, and I've told you this before Stephen A. [Smith], I never said what was reported.

"The question was asked about Ben, it was the first question after we just lost Game 7, my answer was, 'I'm not answering any of that stuff right now guys, I don't even know how to answer that.' That had nothing to do what's about Ben, I was basically just saying, 'I'm not answering that crap, those questions.'

"It was being portrayed that I was out there saying I don't think we can win with Ben, and I do. I told Ben that the next day. What really disappointed me was the next day I went on and said, 'Guys, y'all knew exactly what I was talking about,' and no one heard it.

"They just kept running their narrative. I've been in sports a long time, and I'm not misrepresented very often, but in that case, I was. But it is what it is. Ben knows, [agent] Rich [Paul] knows, and I know."

Philadelphia president of basketball operations Morey violated the league's anti-tampering rules following a tweet last week, while the 76ers were also fined for his conduct.

Morey tweeted "join 'em" with a picture of an Instagram post by Curry regarding his brother and 76ers guard Seth Curry.

Stephen Curry posted via social media after his brother scored a playoff career-high 30 points in Game 5 of Eastern Conference first-round series against Washington Wizards.

Golden State's Curry is not scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent until after next season having signed a then-record $201million, five-year contract in July 2017.

Curry would be 38 at the end of such a deal, but the two-time MVP has shown no signs of slowing down after averaging a career-high 32.0 points during the regular season to become the oldest NBA scoring champion since a 35-year-old Michael Jordan accomplished the feat in 1997-98.

Harden capped a 42-point effort by hitting a game-winning 3-pointer with 19 seconds left in overtime, lifting the 76ers to a crucial 116-115 Game 4 victory on Sunday that evened the series at 2-2.

The 2017-18 NBA MVP earlier forced overtime by hitting a 16-foot floater with 16.4 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, and rebounded strongly from subpar outings in Philadelphia’s losses in Games 2 and 3. Harden shot a combined 5-of-28 from the field in those games, but finished 16 of 23 in Sunday’s win while making 6 of 9 attempts from 3-point range.

Boston’s Marcus Smart nearly answered Harden’s winning shot with some late heroics of his own, but got off a 3-point attempt that went through the net a split second after the final buzzer sounded as the Sixers held on.

Joel Embiid added 34 points and 13 rebounds for the 76ers, who blew a 16-point third-quarter lead and trailed 105-100 with two minutes left in regulation before closing out the fourth quarter with a 7-2 run.

Jayson Tatum shook off an 0-of-8 shooting start to finish with 24 points and 18 rebounds and help key the Celtics’ comeback in regulation. Jaylen Brown ended with 23 points and Smart had 21.

Game 5 will take place Tuesday in Boston.
 

Suns withstand Jokic’s 53 points to pull even with Nuggets

Kevin Durant and Devin Booker each scored 36 points and the Phoenix Suns overcame a monster game from Nikola Jokic to earn a 129-124 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of the teams’ Western Conference semifinal.

The Suns recorded their second straight home win to even the series at 2-2 despite Jokic amassing a Nuggets’ playoff-record 53 points on 20-of-30 shooting.

Booker had 17 points in the third quarter to help Phoenix take a 98-92 lead into the fourth, and the Suns stretched the advantage to 116-106 on Landry Shamet’s 3-pointer with 4:56 left.

Denver countered with a 12-5 run to close within 121-118 with under two minutes remaining, but the Suns kept the West’s top seed at bay by going 8 for 8 from the foul line in the closing stages.

Jokic’s 53 points were a career high and eclipsed the Nuggets’ single-game record for a playoff game of 50, set twice by teammate Jamal Murray in 2020.

Shamet delivered four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and finished with 19 points off the bench for Phoenix, which will head back to Denver for Tuesday’s Game 5. The home team has won every meeting in the series thus far.

Center Embiid was forced into meniscus surgery for a left knee issue at the end of January but Nurse suggested his star man could return before the NBA playoffs.

"I'm still hoping so and pretty confident, yes," the 76ers coach said when asked if Embiid would feature in the postseason.

"I think there's always stages of how these things progress. Everyone wants to know 'Well how long is it going to be?'

"And they give a wide range because of that because everyone heals differently. We're just trying to take it as it comes, get him healthy and get him back when he's ready to go."

Embiid has missed 21 games since tearing his meniscus against the Golden State Warriors, with the 76ers slipping down from third to eighth in the Eastern Conference.

The 76ers man was at least in attendance as Philadelphia downed the Hornets 109-98, with that victory coming after Embiid offered a boost when returning to on-court training.

"He looked pretty good to me," said Cam Payne. "For my first time seeing him, he looked pretty good, man. He attracts a lot of attention out here. So it's probably going to make our job a little bit easier."

Against Charlotte, Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 22 as the 76ers withstood a fourth-quarter comeback for victory.

Buddy Hield also had 14 points and Paul Reed contributed 11, though the 76ers are still 8-13 without key player Embiid.

"I thought Buddy kept us going there for stretches in the second half," Nurse said. "He got some good spots and got some good looks.

"We only scored 109 points, but I thought the offense was really good."

Charlotte have now lost six straight to Philadelphia, though coach Steve Clifford was not too disheartened.

"We were right there with three and a half minutes left," Hornets coach Clifford said.

"We had a couple blown sets where we got a little disorganized there, but we got back into the game and I would say that we played well for about 43 minutes.

"The second quarter, we had a couple of minutes there where the ball didn't hit the paint and we took a couple of OK shots and put a lot of pressure on the defense."

Embiid was expected to sit out Monday's meeting with the New York Knicks as planned rest on the first leg of a back-to-back, but the 76ers subsequently announced he had entered the protocols. 

According to ESPN, the four-time All-Star will now sit out for at least 10 days, ruling him out of Philadelphia's next five games. He could return against the Denver Nuggets next week with the 76ers on a six-game road trip. 

Embiid is averaging 21.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and a career-high 4.0 assists for the 8-2 76ers, who top the Eastern Conference despite having been shorthanded for much of the season.

The 76ers already had Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle and Isaiah Joe in the health and safety protocols. 

They have won all four of their games without Harris, including a 113-103 success over the Portland Trail Blazers that Embiid was rested for. 

Danny Green sustained a hamstring injury in that game and was questionable to make his return against the Knicks. 

Philadelphia also remain without Ben Simmons, who has yet to feature this season as he seeks a trade. 

Another option for the reigning NBA MVP would be to rest and rehab the injury instead of having a procedure on the knee.

Embiid was injured in the 76ers' loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday in his first game back after missing two contests due to an issue with his left knee.

Embiid is the NBA’s leading scorer with 35.3 points per game and is averaging 11.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 34 appearances.

He had a franchise-record 70 points to go along with 18 rebounds on Jan. 22 against the San Antonio Spurs.

The Philadelphia 76ers center reacted to Kevin Huerter stealing the ball from him in the final seconds of his team's 129-112 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday by raising his middle finger.

Embiid had a career-high 49 points but opted not to go for a half-century in the closing stages, instead dribbling the ball out to run out the clock.

However, when Huerter claimed possession, the 25-year-old responded with a one-finger salute towards his opponent which was picked up by courtside cameras.

Embiid was then asked after the game in an interview if he is the best player in the world, a question stemming from him making such a claim after a recent win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Opting to stand by his previous comment, he referenced the recent All-Star Game in Chicago – having scored 22 points for Team Giannis - and included the use of an expletive, though he quickly said sorry for his choice of words, as well as issuing an on-air apology for his reaction to Huerter.

In a statement, Kiki VanDeWeghe, executive vice-president of basketball operations for the NBA announced Embiid's punishment, with the amount reflective of his "multiple prior violations of acceptable on-court decorum".

The 76ers are in action on Wednesday, hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 2019-20 NBA campaign is set to restart via a 22-team format at the Disney World complex in Orlando, Florida on July 30 after the season was postponed due to COVID-19 in March.

Philadelphia will return to action against Eastern Conference rivals the Indiana Pacers on August 1, boosted by the comeback of All-Star Simmons.

Simmons – averaging 16.7 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game this season – is back to full fitness after a back injury sidelined him in February, showcasing his ability at power forward, having played as a point guard.

"He's so dynamic," Philadelphia's Brown said on a conference call with reporters on Monday. "Let's just talk about running. There's nobody faster in the NBA. So to always have the ball and dribble it up against five guys... to do that dilutes some of his potent weapons.

"So, watching him fly up the floor, watching him and Joel [Embiid] play off each other, has been a really good look. I think they've been fantastic together."

Brown, whose 76ers (39-26) are sixth in the Eastern Conference, added: "You take somebody and say, 'Here's the ball.' It's not like Ben came in and we had Chris Paul on the team or Damian Lillard on the team. We were young, and really not that good, so it was my decision, 'You take the ball. We're going to make you the point guard.' It's not like there was an established point guard that he had to bump out.

"[And] how has he responded to that? Like a star. Just a mature, 'Whatever it's going to take to get this team to be the best it can be with the pieces that we have that can be, I don't know, just designed into a smooth thing'... that is one of the pieces he has to offer. He's been great accepting that, and really killing it in the environment that I just said."

With the 76ers trialling Simmons at power forward, it means Shake Milton is set to replace the Australian as point guard, leaving Al Horford on the bench following his struggles since arriving from the Boston Celtics.

Milton has averaged 9.5 points, 2.2 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game in 2019-20, while he scored a career-high 39 points against the Los Angeles Clippers prior to the coronavirus outbreak.

"He's been amazing," All-Star Joel Embiid said of Milton. "He's been the starting point guard, and I think he has a huge opportunity to help us accomplish what we believe we can.

"He's been doing an amazing job and he's running the team and we're going to need him to knock down shots, which he did, before the league got shut down. He was on a roll so we're going to need him to keep it going. But it's great."

Embiid missed Sunday's 102-97 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder as the 76ers stepped up preparations for their NBA return against the Indiana Pacers in Orlando, Florida on August 1.

The three-time All-Star posted 10 points, six rebounds and an assist in just under 13 minutes of Friday's 90-83 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at Walt Disney Resort.

But the 76ers opted not to take any risks after Embiid – whose fitness has often been questioned – began feeling calf tightness against the Grizzlies.

"Not really," Brown replied when asked if there is any frustration about Embiid missing game time with injury. "It's the second game.

"If this had happened three to four games into what we are calling the regular season, [yes]. There is always frustration, selfish frustration, and I know frustration, at times, for Joel. But initially, [we're] just trying to be smart with everything and move on."

"I believe we're just getting out in front of stuff, and being smart with it," Brown said.

Embiid was averaging 23.4 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game prior to the coronavirus pandemic forcing the NBA to be suspended in March.

The 76ers (39-26) are sixth in the Eastern Conference, sharing the same record as the fifth-placed Pacers ahead of the league's resumption.

The NBA will restart via a 22-team format at Walt Disney Resort in Orlando, Florida.

76ers center Embiid and guard Simmons have been the subjects of endless questions about their chemistry, with repeated claims that the pair cannot play together for Philadelphia due to contrasting styles.

Reports have also claimed the 76ers could deal one of the players in pursuit of a title, with big man Embiid apparently seen as the most likely to be moved on should Philadelphia explore a trade.

But Brown believes Embiid and Simmons can lead the 76ers – who have not won the NBA since 1983 – to glory.

"I personally am convinced those two are going to win a championship at some point in their career and that they, for sure, can coexist," Brown told reporters on Monday.

"The myth is that they can't. I think that is so abused and not articulated the way I see it."

Brown, speaking ahead of Tuesday's clash against the Los Angeles Lakers, added: "We played an exciting style and they coexisted just fine.

"It always goes down to surrounding cast and style of play and willingness to coexist and the acknowledgement they need each other. They need each other."

"Do your homework and look at pairings that have won and when they win. You aren't going to see many that are 23 and 26," he continued. "Sometimes it takes a little bit of time.

"These guys are actually in a position where they can do some really special things. How do we surround them with the resources to be able to do that?"

Embiid is averaging 23.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game for the 76ers this season, while Simmons is averaging 16.7 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds.

The 76ers are sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 37-24 record, behind the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks (52-9), Toronto Raptors (42-18), Boston Celtics (41-18), Miami Heat (39-22) and Indiana Pacers (37-24).

The 2020-21 campaign is scheduled to begin on December 22 in a non-bubble environment after last season concluded at Walt Disney World Resort.

COVID-19 forced the 2019-20 season to be suspended in March before the league resumed inside the Orlando bubble in July, with the Los Angeles Lakers going on to win the championship in October.

As the NBA prepares for a reduced 72-game regular season, new 76ers coach Rivers addressed his concerns by pointing to the NFL and college sport.

"Man, I tell you I'm very concerned if we can pull this off," Rivers, who replaced Brett Brown after leaving the Los Angeles Clippers, told reporters on Tuesday.

"Just watching football, in college you have Ohio State missing games, Pittsburgh and Baltimore can't even play a game [in the NFL], they can't get to it, hopefully they play Wednesday now.

"The difference in football is they play once a week. They have 1,000 players, so when you miss three or four players, you can still get away with it. If we miss three or four players, we're in trouble, especially with the amount of games [we play].

"We're playing three to four games a week. So if one of our guys, or two of our key guys, get the virus and they miss 10 days to 14 days, that can be eight games. In a 72-game season, that can knock you out of the playoffs.

"That's a concern, our guys' health is a concern, and that's tough. As a coach, you want to go into your chief concerns being more basketball, and I think every coach's concern right now is probably non-basketball."

Former Boston Celtics coach Rivers is just a few wins away from joining an esteemed group of coaches.

He has 1,034 career wins (770 losses) across the regular season and playoffs – just three victories shy of entering the top 10 for all-time wins in the NBA, level with Red Auerbach. Current San Antonio Spurs great Gregg Popovich tops the list with 1,447.

If you are just looking at the regular season, Rivers has overseen 943 wins (681 defeats), one behind 10th-placed Bill Fitch. Former Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson – a three-time championship-winning coach – stands alone at the top with 1,335.

Rivers also oversaw the fifth-best record in the NBA with the Clippers – 356-208 in the regular season – but failed to reach the Finals.

The Clippers also top the list for most consecutive seasons with 40-plus wins on nine – seven of those campaigns were on Rivers' watch.

Rivers has a 66.2 winning percentage in his first four seasons with a team, only behind Steve Kerr (80.8), Avery Johnson (73.5), Mike D'Antoni (68.2) and Stan Van Gundy (67.7).

"Taking a job during this year of COVID is brutal," Rivers, whose 76ers will open their preseason against the Celtics on December 15, said. "I will just say that. It's brutal. And then making the changes, because we haven't had a chance to be in the gyms with our guys. We can't even put in our stuff, and then you have like a week-and-a-half, and you're in [regular-season] action.

"We're going to simplify things as much as possible. It clearly wouldn't be what I would do if it was normal circumstances. It is what it is. Teams like Boston and Milwaukee and Miami, that are already set, they have an advantage.

"We are fine with that, but we have to make up the deficit, and we probably have to do it through work."

The Sixers went down 108-97 in New York on Sunday, despite taking a 21-point lead in the first quarter.

Philadelphia's advantage was cut to just two by halftime, and although they restored a three-point cushion heading into the final quarter, they could not hold out.

Having seen his team surrender a 21-point lead for the second game in a week, coach Rivers bemoaned the play of those he had to call on from the bench.

"I thought our second unit came in and struggled," Rivers told reporters.

"This is the second time that has happened. The same thing happened in Orlando.

"Both times, we were scoring too easy. The second group comes in and thinks this is an offensive game and they didn't see the reason the first group got the lead was because of defense."

Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and James Harden started and each posted double-doubles for the 76ers, yet Tyrese Maxey was the only substitute to get into double figures for points (12).

In contrast, the Knicks bench accounted for 37 points, with Evan Fournier putting up 17 of them.

Rivers did, however, insist it was "not just a bench loss".

"We've been good at that. Just because one half doesn't work, you don't vacate the unit," he said.

"That's what guys do who lose a lot. So they didn't play well, though honestly, I didn't think that's why we lost the game.

"I hate that the numbers look like it was the bench: it was everybody. This was a team loss and I made that clear.

"We'll sit and look and we'll see minus-24 and plus-34s, our stars were in some of that too when Fournier was making those shots, and so I just thought it was a team loss. I thought it was more mental and emotional than just playing basketball.

"I thought we were just not strong. Mentally, I thought they were the mentally tougher team and they deserve to win."

Embiid, who led the game with 31 points, 14 rebounds and three assists, added: "It's never easy.

"A 20-point lead in the NBA, that's nothing. Any team can come back and that's what they did tonight."

With less than 10 seconds left and the 76ers leading 102-98, DeRozan drove to the bucket for a dunk that would have ensured a tense finale but was blocked by Embiid. It was a play that Rivers labelled "game-saving" and likened to a move by Miami Heat great Mourning.

Embiid has not been at his best this season, averaging 21.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. He finished this game with 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists but stood up when it counted.

"Big play at the rim. Really big play," Rivers told reporters after the game. "I love when bigs go after dunks. Half these guys in the league won't go after it because they are worried if they get dunked on.

"I love the Alonzo Mourning approach. I thought Joel took it. Going after DeRozan, that's a big play, that's a game-saving play."

Seth Curry top-scored for the Sixers with 22 points, shooting nine from 14 from the field, including a clutch two-pointer to put them 102-98 up.

The result improved Philadelphia, who are still without Ben Simmons, to 6-2 and completed a run of four home games with four wins.

The 76ers were also missing starters Tobias Harris (COVID-19) and Danny Green (hamstring), making their run of victories more impressive having been 2-2 after a 112-99 loss to the New York Knicks.

"It was huge. We talked about it after the New York game. We had a four-game home stand, we had to win them all," Rivers said.

"We obviously didn’t know we'd have all these guys out. The fact we still won them all with all these guys out was pretty cool."

Simmons demanded a trade amid criticism following last season's playoff exit to the Atlanta Hawks and was absent from Philadelphia for the first two weeks of preseason work before showing up on October 11 to begin fulfilling COVID-19 protocols that would allow him to re-join the championship-chasing franchise.

As the 76ers – who claimed the Eastern Conference top seed in 2020-21 – gear up for the new season, Rivers was again asked about Simmons' availability.

"I have no idea," Rivers told reporters after Simmons participated in practice on Monday. "Honestly, I haven't even thought about it much.

"When it comes, I'll make the decision. But I'm just going to wait and see and watch. The spirit has been so good, and so we’re just going to keep going."

"Just learning the new stuff, conditioning, timing, rhythm," Rivers said.

"We've been together for three weeks, so we've established a good rhythm. So the more he's been in, the more he does, especially when we're working on our offensive stuff earlier, because we've built from last year but we tweaked a lot of stuff. But it's easy to pick up, especially for him."

Simmons – an elite defender – and his shooting problems were laid bare during the 2021 postseason with the top-seeded 76ers, who were eliminated in the semi-finals.

Former number one draft pick Simmons had no fourth-quarter field-goal attempts in his last four games of the playoffs against the Hawks last season. He is the only NBA player in the last 20 seasons to have four consecutive postseason games with no field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter during a season in which he was an All-Star, according to Stats Perform.

Simmons averaged just 10.1 field-goal attempts in 2020-21 – a career low, which dropped to 7.9 in the playoffs. It was the same story with his scoring as it dropped to a career-worst 14.3 points per game and 11.9 in the postseason – both career lows.

Then there is Simmons and free throws. He was exposed by rival teams as they regularly sent him to the line, with the Melbourne-born guard making just 25 of 73 shots in the 2020-21 playoffs. His 34.2 free-throw percentage is the lowest ever in a single postseason.

On chemistry, Rivers added: "It'll grow. It'll come back. I'm not that concerned, right now, with it. They are interchanging, it's coming, and it just takes time.

"Chemistry is huge, and I think overall our chemistry is phenomenal right now and we want to keep it going."

Simmons has sought a trade from the 76ers and had been willing to sit out the entire 2021-22 season before showing up at Wells Fargo Center shortly before tip-off ahead of Monday's preseason game against rivals the Brooklyn Nets.

Reports claim Simmons had not spoken directly to team officials since late August, having missed all of training camp and preseason following a disappointing Eastern Conference semi-final loss to the Atlanta Hawks last season.

Doubts remain over the disgruntled Australian and Rivers was ambiguous regarding Simmons' playing status for the championship hopefuls.

"I don't know. He's voiced that, but we'll see how that works out," Rivers told reporters when asked about Simmons' trade status on Wednesday.

Simmons has reportedly generated interest from the likes of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers but the 76ers are believed to have set a high price.

It comes after Simmons was heavily scrutinised following Philadelphia's shock playoff elimination at the hands of the Hawks in 2020-21.

A three-time All-Star and elite defender, Simmons and his shooting problems were laid bare during the 2021 postseason with the top-seeded 76ers.

Former number one draft pick Simmons had no fourth-quarter field-goal attempts in his last four games of the playoffs last season. He is the only NBA player in the last 20 seasons to have four consecutive postseason games with no field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter during a season in which he was an All-Star, according to Stats Perform.

"I'm assuming he's going to play, but who knows? I can't get in anyone's head," Rivers said with the 76ers due to meet the Detroit Pistons on Friday before opening their regular-season campaign against the New Orleans Pelicans on October 20.

Rivers added: "Whether we play him or not, that's going to depend on what we see this week.

"He's coming from behind, because he hasn't been in camp, obviously. Having said that, do you rush him and put him on the floor? That's a whole other subject.

"What we see this week is how we determine everything going forward."

Simmons averaged just 10.1 field-goal attempts in 2020-21 – a career low, which dropped to 7.9 in the playoffs. It was the same story with his scoring as it dropped to a career-worst 14.3 points per game and 11.9 in the postseason – both career lows.

Then there is Simmons and free throws. He was exposed by rival teams as they regularly sent him to the line, with the Melbourne-born guard making just 25 of 73 shots in the 2020-21 playoffs. His 34.2 free-throw percentage is the lowest ever in a single postseason.

Sixers team-mate Danny Green said: "We want him back. We want him with us. When he's in the building, we'll acclimate him appropriately. We just want everybody to come here, show up and do their part, do their jobs."

"I'll be able to see when he steps on the floor where his head's at. I don't feel like he needs to explain anything to me," added Seth Curry.

Rivers opted not to play 2018 MVP James Harden in the second game of their back-to-back as they went down 99-82 to the Eastern Conference-leading Heat.

Joel Embiid scored 22 points with 15 rebounds for the 76ers but was often double-teamed in Harden's absence, while Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro both contributed 21 points for the Heat.

The decision to leave out Harden was curious given the relative significance of the fixture with seedings in mind, with the Heat top of the east with a 43-22 record ahead of the second-placed 76ers at 39-24.

“I really don’t look at the standings,” Rivers said at the post-game news conference. “What do they matter? You have to win.

"I swear to God, after 82 [games], someone’s going to tap me and say ‘This is who you’re playing.’... You can only control what you can control. The other stuff is for everyone else to talk about."

The 76ers head coach clarified that Harden was left out due to managing a left hamstring complaint which was "nothing".

“It’s nothing, really,” Rivers said pre-game. “He’s just played a lot of games, he’s been out, and that’s about it really. There’s nothing to read into it.”

Simmons left the 76ers acrimoniously with a trade to the Nets after more than five years with Philadelphia.

The 25-year-old point guard endured a difficult 2021 playoffs leading to a fallout with the 76ers, demanding a trade and sitting out the first half of the season before the Nets move materialised. 

Simmons and 76ers center Joel Embiid fell out too, ramping up the tensions with the latter posting a cryptic Twitter update upon Simmons' exit last month.

“I do actually,” Rivers said when asked if Simmons deserved a tribute video upon his return. “Ben did a lot of good things here.

"It didn’t end well, right? Just like marriages and all kinds of other things that don’t end well but Ben did a lot of good things here.

"It’s funny, I don’t know if we are or not, but if we did, I’d have no issues with it.”

Simmons won the 2018 Rookie of the Year, had been a three-time All-Star and two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team member with the 76ers reaching the playoffs in all four of his seasons with the side.

The Australian is yet to debut for the Nets and unlikely to play on Thursday as he builds up his conditioning having not played all season at the 76ers but may attend the game with the team.

Rivers sarcastically added: "Our fans are so silent so I can't imagine anything happening."

Meanwhile, James Harden shrugged off any talk of nerves ahead of the match-up where he will face his former Nets teammates for the first time since last month's trade with Simmons.

"I'm not nervous, it's basketball," Harden told reporters after Monday's 121-106 win over the Chicago Bulls. "I've put the work in to just play my game and live with the results.

"Honestly every game is a big game for us. We're fairly new, we've got championship aspirations so every game is a learning process for us no matter who we're playing."

Embiid, 27, has not played for the 76ers since their March 13 win over the Washington Wizards, when he went down injured.

The 76ers have remained top of the Eastern Conference in his absence but lost their second straight game on Tuesday, going down 104-95 to the Denver Nuggets.

"Whenever Joel comes back, we’re going to go back to our normal rotation, but I have no idea," Rivers said.

"He’s close. I can tell you that. He’s working every day, I get reports back daily, and he looks good. He’s doing well."

Given Philadelphia's position on the standings, the franchise is focusing on ensuring the Cameroonian forward is fully fit for the play-offs.

"He has to clear certain medical steps," Rivers said. "I don’t even know what those are, but he has to.

"Then the other thought with us, and the way I’ve always tried to do it, if you can come back and just keep playing, then you’re healthy, but if you can come back and play one game or two games and then have to sit, then you’re not ready yet. If you know what I’m saying.

"We want to make sure when Joel comes back, he’s back. Not in and out and I think that’s very important."

Philadelphia fell 118-113 to the Indiana Pacers on Saturday after digging a large first-half hole as the 76ers proved unable to stop anyone from scoring. 

Indiana shot 67.4 per cent from the floor in the opening half, embarking on a 15-0 run beginning late in the first quarter and leading by as many as 20 before the break. 

"Listen, we didn’t deserve to win tonight," Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers told reporters. "They shot 57 per cent from the field, 67 I think at half-time, and we cooled them off a little bit.

"They played harder. They beat us in transition, I think they had 18 transition points in the first half, we cut it in the second half to make the game manageable, but when you’re on the road, and you get down 20 and you dig yourself a hole, it’s hard coming back, it is.

"Give them credit. They were better prepared. They were the better team tonight."

It was the fourth successive loss for the 76ers as Embiid missed his fourth consecutive game after testing positive for COVID-19 on Monday. 

Matisse Thybulle also missed his fifth game in a row due to health and safety protocols, and Tyrese Maxey said the void is significant. 

"They’re like defensive bail-outs," Maxey said. "When you make a mistake, they’ll cover it up because they’re just special guys. You can go for a gamble, miss it, Matisse will cover it up and get a block.

"Joel’s seven-foot at the rim, you get blown by, he’s blocking it or he’s challenging shots. It’s hard for offensive players to score on them. We’ve got to be collectively more solid without those guys." 

In a stretch when the short-handed 76ers cannot afford any letdowns, Maxey also said the team's "competitive nature slipped" in the first half, "and that's one thing we can never let slip".