NBA Draft Rumor: Philadelphia 76ers Promise To Select Ben Simmons First Overall

Trevor Lane
2 Min Read

As we inch closer to the NBA Draft, it is looking more and more likely that LSU’s Ben Simmons will be the player selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the first overall pick. Simmons has long been considered the front-runner to be the first player off the draft board, but Philadelphia has worked out other prospects, such as Duke’s Brandon Ingram.

Through much of the pre-draft process, it appeared that Simmons would not work out for any teams under the advice of his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports. However, that strategy was changed with the draft just two days away.

According to Keith Pompey of philly.com, Simmons worked out for the 76ers this morning:

Ben Simmons was in Philadelphia Tuesday morning to work out for the 76ers. The former Louisiana State power forward worked out for the Sixers at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, according to sources close to the player. The Sixers probably will take the 6-foot-10, 260-pounder first in Thursday’s NBA draft.

After the workout session 76ers GM Bryan Colangelo said that the workout was a sign that Simmons and his management team want him to be selected with the first overall pick, further burying rumors that Simmons was hoping to force his way to Los Angeles. Apparently, the workout was all that the 76ers needed to see.

According to Chris Haynes of cleveland.com, Philadelphia has promised to take Simmons with the first overall pick:

Still, nothing will be certain until Philadelphia is on the clock on Thursday night, but at this point, it appears that it would take a major change of heart for Philadelphia to select anyone other than Simmons. This would result in Brandon Ingram likely heading to the Lakers, which may be exactly what Los Angeles is hoping for.

Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com
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