The NBA trade deadline is now just two days away and all things considered, it does not look like the Philadelphia 76ers will be making a move that includes Ben Simmons.

Every update regarding Ben Simmons and the recent trade rumors / propaganda that has flooded the media can be found here. 

Today, we have another update coming from the Bleacher Report and Jake Fischer. In his report, Fischer states that people in Ben Simmons’ circle want him to return to the Sixers if he’s not moved by the trade deadline. 

I’ve noticed this narrative becoming more evident over the past few weeks.

From the reports by Ramona Shelburne stating that Simmons plans to meet with the 76ers if he’s not traded, to Woj starting claiming that Ben Simmons would receive a standing ovation if he returned to the court of the Sixers, it’s been an interesting pivot from everything we have heard over the past several months.

Danny Green said that the doesn’t believe Simmons will be traded, and ALSO mentioned that he doesn’t believe that Ben Simmons will sit out the entire season.

Even yesterday, Joel Embiid stated on radio that even though he thought Ben Simmons’ reaction to what happened after Game 7 was unreasonable, his number one goal is to win championships and that he still believes having Ben Simmons back would increase his odds in doing just that. 

Here’s a few words from Fischer’s Ben Simmons report:

The prospect of Simmons’ potential return will then take center stage after Thursday’s theatrics come to a close. Sixers brass have consistently messaged an optimism that Simmons may be willing to rejoin Philadelphia if a deal doesn’t materialize before the deadline.

Numerous figures affiliated with Simmons’ representation insist he’ll never dress for the franchise again, but there are people around Simmons who have recently pushed for the All-Star to retake the floor if he’s not dealt, sources said.

To be clear, Ben Simmons SHOULD return to the Philadelphia 76ers. However, the questions remain about if Simmons has the maturity level to do so, and if he wants to play basketball in general. Still, we have not heard directly from Simmons since Game 7 postgame.

The entire Simmons saga is laughable. There’s really no good reason why any of this has happened in the first place. 76ers fans should be the least of Simmons concerns. 

As I’ve stated before, Ben Simmons could return to the Sixers with very little effort, and be forgiven within a week of taking the court again. 

• Hold a press conference and apologize for the distractions he has caused and how the entire situation unfolded over the past few months.
  
• Be honest, and say that you were in a bad place mentally and thought it would be best to move on and start somewhere else new. 
  
• Acknowledge that the NBA is a business and that you need to be better focusing on basketball and not worrying about outside noise in regards to trade rumors and social media. 
  
• Say you are ready to move forward and focus on rebuilding your relationship with your teammates, coaches, and 76ers fans. 
  
• Take the court, hustle your ass off, and shoot the basketball.

From there, I would bet my mortgage that Ben Simmons would be forgiven within a week. Take the boos and criticism and address the situation head on and the people of Philadelphia will get behind you. 

Everyone makes mistakes. Philadelphia knows that better than anyone. There’s always room for redemption, and IF Ben Simmons wanted to return, the path is already laid out for him. 

Honestly, there would be no better ending to this entire saga than Ben Simmons taking the court and helping the 76ers win an NBA Championship this season. 

If he doesn’t get traded, there’s literally no reason why Ben Simmons shouldn’t throw on a Sixers uniform and play again. You can be as mad as you want, but the fact remains that adding Simmons to this team again will make the Sixers a favorite in the Eastern Conference.

I promise, you won’t be crying any more on Broad Street during the Championship parade.