Disgruntled 76ers’ star Ben Simmons is hitting the gym.
The 25-year-old was recorded by his trainer Chris Johnson draining two 3-pointers Monday with Clippers’ guard Rajon Rondo. Fellow Clippers guard Brandon Boston Jr. was also seen training with the duo.
Simmons is known for working on his shot during the offseason. However, the time in the gym has not led to results.
He struggled shooting in the playoffs, shooting just 25-for-73 (34.2 percent) from the foul line in the first two rounds, the worst postseason free-throw shooting performance in NBA history.
The Melbourne, Australia native took three fourth-quarter shots in 56 minutes against the Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals – he passed up a dunk when the 76ers were down 88-86 with three minutes left in Game 7. In the series, he averaged just 9.9 points per game, and in his career, he is 5-34 free deep.
Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on Simmons’ jumper.
“I saw this in Summer of 2017, 2018 and 2019,” one wrote.
One commenter is not believing the hype: “Don’t care. I see it every year, and every year he doesn’t do anything like this. It’s always the same Ben Simmons.”
Following a difficult season in which Simmons averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game, the 76ers are trying to trade their All-Star point guard. Things are getting tense, as Simmons has “cut off communication with basically everyone in the Sixers organization,” Jason Dumas of KRON4 News reported Thursday. Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, Simmons’ agent, is mediating the situation.
Simmons is willing to go to the Warriors, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Cavaliers, Kings, Pacers, Raptors and Timberwolves could also be suitors, Marc Stein reported.
Nonetheless, there seems to be interest in Simmons, and if he can fix his struggling jump shot once and for all, it would help his trade value.