Embiid welcomes 76ers separation with Simmons: 'No more talking about that subject' / News - Basketnews.com

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On Thursday, the Philadelphia 76ers shook up the basketball world, acquiring James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for fellow guards Ben Simmons and Seth Curry, center Andre Drummond, and two first-round picks.

Joel Embiid

MIN:32.99PTS:29.3 (60.7%)REB:11.07As:4.33ST:0.98BL:1.53TO:2.88GM:43ProfileNBA2021/2022

Seems that Joel Embiid approved this deal, commenting that he is glad to not answer questions anymore regarding him and Ben Simmons.

"Yeah, I am happy that I am not going to be answering any more questions about that subject," said the Cameroonian center after the game against OKC.

"The whole year, it was pretty annoying with the whole situation but I am glad that everybody has moved on. I wish everybody the best in whatever they want to accomplish, but I am focused on winning games here and trying to win a championship."

Simmons has not played this season and asked to be traded. The Simmons camp reportedly cited mental health issues and an inability to mesh on the court with teammate Joel Embiid as reasons for wanting to leave.

Embiid addressed the criticism of Simmons following their Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The reason behind it was Simmons' inability or unwillingness to take shots. The Australian also drew criticism for his performance at the foul line. He made just 34.2 percent of his attempts (25 of 73) in 12 playoff games after shooting 61.3 percent during the regular season.

The 76ers made Simmons the No. 1 overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft. He sat out his first campaign with a foot injury, but in 275 games over four seasons, he is averaging 15.9 points, 7.7 assists, and 8.1 rebounds. His 2020-21 averages - 14.3 points, 6.9 assists, and 7.2 rebounds - were career lows.

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