What will the 76ers do with Simmons? Philly guard wants out

By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers can look to the past to figure out what to do with unhappy guard Ben Simmons. The Sixers once almost traded Allen Iverson because management was unhappy with his behavior. Iverson returned when the deal fell through. He didn’t pout or complain about hurt feelings. He used the near-trade as motivation and led the Sixers to the Eastern Conference championship in 2001 and won NBA MVP. Simmons was the No. 1 pick of the 2016 draft. He is a three-time All-Star and had been paired with Joel Embiid as the franchise cornerstones as the Sixers chase their first NBA championship since 1983. Simmons took the brunt of the blame for the top-seeded Sixers’ second-round exit in last season’s playoffs.