Ben Simmons told 76ers he’s not ‘prepared mentally’ to play

Maybe Ben Simmons needs to trust the process?

The disgruntled Philadelphia 76ers point guard met with head coach Doc Rivers, center Joel Embiid and the rest of the team on Friday, and said he wants to play, but needs time because he is not “prepared mentally,” according to The Athletic.

In the Friday meeting, Simmons “accepted everyone needs to take responsibility, including himself,” per the report.

Simmons served a one-game suspension during Wednesday’s win over the Pelicans for refusing to participate in team drills at practice the day prior.

Simmons reportedly attended shootaround Thursday, where he was engaged around the team ahead of the Sixers’ Friday home opener against the Nets. It’s unlikely Simmons will play.

“And we’ll respect his privacy and space during this time,” Philadelphia forward Tobias Harris tweeted on Friday. “When he’s ready, we will embrace our brother with love and handle our business on the court. That’s it, that’s all.”

Tyrese Maxey replaced the All-Star guard against the Pelicans and had a solid performance alongside Embiid, who expressed his disdain for Simmons and his on-going drama.

“At this point, I don’t care about that man, honestly,” Embiid said. “He does what he wants.”

Last week, Simmons returned to Philadelphia after spending months away from the team in a holdout that began after his historically poor performance in the playoffs.

The 25-year-old, who missed all of preseason, has made it clear he wants a trade through. It remains unclear what his future looks like in Philadelphia.