Ben Simmons will surely be selected #1 overall by the Philadelphia Sixers at the NBA Draft on June 23rd, but the former LSU forward has declined the teams invite to a pre-draft workout. It's worth noting, he won't be working out for the Lakers, or Celtics, or any of the other lottery teams either.
Despite Simmons' refusal to workout, the team's new President, Bryan Colangelo, insists that won't prevent them from selecting him a week from today.
"Everything that we get with our intel as it relates to Ben is that he would very much like to be selected No. 1,'' Colangelo said.
"His agent has decided that is the process they are undertaking," said Colangelo. "Why don't you call [Simmons' agent] Rich Paul and ask him. It has nothing to do with us and nothing to do with Philadelphia. Everybody goes about it a little differently. Sometimes players decide to work out, sometimes they decide not to work out."
Trust "the process."
On the flip side, the consensus #2 overall pick, Brandon Ingram, has already met many of the Sixers players during his workout including Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor, and he has also had lunch with the Sixers head coach, Brett Brown.
It's highly unlikely Simmons' refusal to workout for the Sixers will cost himself the #1 overall pick but this definitely isn't an ideal situation for the Philly faithful.
When asked whether he thought the team would pick Ingram over Simmons, Colangelo said, "It changes every day."
[Via]
