Ben Simmons suspended for regular season opener against New Orleans Pelicans

The Philadelphia 76ers announced on Tuesday that point guard Ben Simmons has been suspended for one game for conduct detrimental to the team and will not play in Wednesday night’s regular season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Simmons was reportedly kicked out of Tuesday’s practice for not being engaged, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. From there, the Sixers issued a suspension to the All-Star point guard, who was scheduled to speak with the media for the first time since Philly lost in the playoffs to the Atlanta Hawks.

Joel Embiid was asked about the situation after practice and had some pretty strong thoughts as the Simmons situation reaches a boiling point:

Simmons returned to Philadelphia last week after missing the first couple of weeks of training camp and recently just joined the team for practice. But with being suspended for the season opener, it now brings another layer into the on-going saga between him and the organization.

The 25-year-old point guard reportedly wants out of Philadelphia, but the Sixers have yet to find a suitable trade for Simmons. It’s been widely reported over the last few weeks that 10 teams have had some type of trade interest in the defensive-minded point guard. We have to wonder if Tuesday’s suspension will lead to a trade happening or sooner. Or if Simmons plays a game for the team this season.