Rumor debunked! The 76ers can't afford him! Goodbye, former No. 1 pick!

Wow~

According to reports, the 76ers were considering bringing back Simmons on a one-year veteran minimum deal to fill the final roster spot.

However, reporter Siegel responded to this by posting:The 76ers' current total salary is only $1.8 million under the first apron hard cap, and they have shown no intention of moving any player from their current lineup, so they cannot afford to sign Simmons or anyone else on a minimum deal.

After the 2024-25 season, Simmons stepped away from the NBA and paused all basketball activities, instead turning to fishing. This past May, his South Florida Sailfish Fishing Club won the Walker's Cay Blue Marlin Open. It seems he's had enough of that and has been expressing a strong desire to return to the NBA.

So the question is: which teams, not suckers, are interested in Simmons, who has been away from the NBA for over a year? So far, only rumors with his former team the 76ers have surfaced, and they've been flatly denied...

This guy was born on July 20, 1996, stands 2.08m tall with a 2.14m wingspan, was the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA draft, and is a versatile forward capable of playing all five positions. His total NBA career earnings exceed $203 million, and he has played for the 76ers, Nets, and Clippers. His stats are as follows:

Regular season: 31.1 minutes, 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.5 steals, 55.8% FG. Playoffs: 31.6 minutes, 12.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.2 steals, 56.7% FG.

Simmons was once hailed as the next LeBron James or even the new face of the NBA. His early career was indeed impressive: from the 2018-21 seasons, he was selected to three All-Star games, won one steals title, made two All-Defensive First Teams, and one All-NBA Third Team. However, after the 2021 playoffs, he experienced a cliff-like decline due to mental health and injury issues and has never regained his former self.

To put it bluntly, Simmons is arguably the fastest-declining All-Star in the NBA in recent years. It's still unbelievable that he lost his offensive confidence and entire skill set at his peak age. Otherwise, he would at least still be a rotation player. But there are no 'ifs,' and speculating about them is pointless.

What else can be said? Just send best wishes. Everyone has to be responsible for their own life.