"I don’t understand why Ben is upset" - Shaquille O'Neal doesn't get why Ben Simmons is so desperate to exit the Philadelphia 76ers

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal has expressed his bewilderment about Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons' recent antics, saying that he was hoping that the Australian international would be more professional.

"I don’t understand why Ben is upset. Maybe he felt disrespected when Doc [Rivers] suggested they couldn’t win a championship with him. If so, I think Ben and his team should’ve been a little bit more professional. They should’ve gone to the office and said, Okay, if you don’t want us, we don’t want to be here. Now let’s make a trade."

The former LA Lakers star was on a conference call for a charity event but ended up answering some NBA-related questions.

The Ben Simmons-Philadelphia 76ers trade saga has dragged on all summer, and recent reports suggest that the point guard will not be playing for the Eastern Conference heavyweights anymore. Simmons has cited various reasons for demanding a trade, Rivers' comments about him following the playoff loss against the Atlanta Hawks being one of them.

The Philadelphia 76ers are finding it hard to trade Ben Simmons

Philadelphia 76ers v Atlanta Hawks - Game Six

The NBA season is less than a month away and the training camp has already commenced, and yet the Philadelphia 76ers front office has been unable to find a suitor for Ben Simmons. The Australian point guard has been linked with teams like the Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers, but talks have not reached a conclusive point with any of these sides.

A major reason behind that is the fall in Ben Simmons' stock, in which his performances in the 2021 NBA playoffs have played a big role. He was abysmal in the series against the Hawks and shot a dismal 34% from the charity stripe in the postseason. His shotmaking was also dreadful, and he shied away from taking responsibility in the fourth quarter, which led to him getting considerable flak from both media and fans.

The Philadelphia 76ers have also not helped their case, with Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid's comments about Simmons further rotting the relationship between the franchise and the player. It was earlier reported that Ben Simmons took the summer off to work on his game and return to the Philadelphia 76ers, but the defensive maverick is unlikely to suit up for Rivers' side again.