But the Sixers struggled to get over the hump with Simmons on the roster, losing and getting unceremoniously booted out of the playoff — repeated post-season collapses with highly visible moments of Simmons being unwilling or unable to score in key moments — which led to his departure in 2022.

Simmons was already going to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, but his $40 million contract this season made it impossible for the Nets to trade him for even the tiniest