Doc Rivers Was Actually “Praying” The Sixers Would Dump Ben Simmons!

76ers coach Doc Rivers was ready to move on from Ben Simmons long before Philadelphia traded him to the Nets in a package for All-Star guard James Harden.

“The guys were just over it,” Rivers told Sports Illustrated about the Joel Embiid-led team that experienced morale issues leading up to the trade. “We were winning games, and, every town we went to, we were talking about Ben. I don’t know if we could have gotten through the second half of the season with that hanging over our heads. I was praying something happened.”

The Sixers made the move to acquire Harden just hours before the trade deadline in February, in a package that included sharpshooter Seth Curry, big man Andre Drummond and two first-round picks.

The blockbuster deal came after Simmons requested a trade out of Philadelphia last summer and distanced himself from the team. At one point, he informed the Sixers that he was not mentally ready to play and skipped training camp in September

Simmons arrived at the Sixers’ facility the next month after getting hit with a number of fines by the team.

Just days before the Sixers traded Simmons to the Nets, Yahoo Sports reported that Philadelphia had fined Simmons more than $19 million for missing 50 regular-season games — adding that his total fines could top $30 million.

“He was losing a lot of money,” Embiid told Sports Illustrated. “At some point I started to feel bad for him.”

Embiid, who’s currently in the MVP race amid a stellar season, said he has not spoken to Simmons since the trade — let alone in the months leading up to the trade.

We never saw him [around the Sixers facility],” said Embiid, who is apparently still unsure about what caused the Sixers-Simmons split. “I don’t have any hard feelings. I don’t have any hate toward him. I wouldn’t mind being friends. That’s just me. I don’t care. Honestly. I respect the decision he made. I think it’s unfortunate what happened, but to me it’s whatever.”

Embiid, who is averaging 29.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists this season, said he is focused on winning. The 46-29 Sixers entered Wednesday in fourth place in the East.

Simmons, meanwhile, has yet to play this season. He is currently rehabbing a herniated disc in his back that he previously dealt with during his Sixers tenure