76ers’ Daryl Morey Supports Ben Simmons: ‘He Was Going Through Something’

AP Photo/John Minchillo

Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey defended Ben Simmons amid questions about the player’s mental-health claims.

“To be fair to him, he clearly—I believe him. He was going through something,” Morey told the Rights to Ricky Sanchez podcast (h/t Dan Feldman of NBC Sports). “And it was just whether or not we could’ve gotten to the point where we would have him play basketball for us.”

Simmons asked the 76ers for a trade before telling the team he wasn’t “mentally ready to play,” via ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The guard didn’t play a single game during the 2021-22 season, causing Philadelphia to finally send him to the Brooklyn Nets before the trade deadline in a deal that brought back James Harden.

Simmons is now working his way back to the court and is preparing to play for Brooklyn, spurring criticism from fans who doubted his mental state.

“They should be happy I’m smiling, honestly,” Simmons said of critics this week. “I’ve had some dark times over these last six months, and I’m just happy to be in this situation with this team and organization.”

Morey also said the issues were legitimate, saying it was on him to create a “better relationship with Ben.”

“I think knowing how sensitive he was to public comments that that behooved us to be, just organizationally, more careful on that,” Morey added. “I think it’s important, you know, your top players and their different spots where you have to pay attention.”

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported earlier this month that public comments by Joel Embiid and coach Doc Rivers after last year’s playoff run helped contribute to the schism between Simmons and the rest of the team. Simmons’ name came up in numerous trade rumors over the summer before he requested a deal himself.

Morey acknowledged his role in the divide while noting the issues were genuine.