Philadelphia 76ers suspended their star point guard Ben Simmons on Tuesday for one game due to what the coach Doc Rivers called conduct detrimental to the team. Simmons will miss the 76ers’ season opener on Wednesday night at New Orleans.

However, the Ben Simmons saga has been one that has continued through the end of last season and through the entirety of the offseason. For anyone who’s still not aware of all the drama, to put it in layman’s terms, Simmons doesn’t want to stay at 76ers, but Philadelphia haven’t received any substantial offer at the kind of price they value the point guard to be. 

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Both Simmons and the Sixers don’t have much time for negotiations either, with the season starting later today with the opener between Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets.

Currently, Simmons has four years and $147 million left on his max contract — including $33 million for 2021-22. With just 20 days left for the season to start, there is no substantial trade deal that has yet been chalked up. 

Earlier in September, the 25-year-old star player told the managing authorities of the Sixers that he will not wear an NBA jersey again unless he is traded to another team, ESPN reported citing unnamed sources.

Meanwhile, earlier in the month, the Sixers opted to withhold 25% of Simmons’ $33-million salary due and they plan to fine the star player for every game — both preseason and regular season — that he is away from the team.

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For each game missed, Philadelphia will deduct roughly $360,000 from that $8.25 million placed in escrow, according to ESPN reports. 

However, Simmons’ on-court exploits haven’t helped the trade situation. He took the brunt of the blame for the top-seeded Sixers’ second-round exit in last season’s playoffs. He shot 34% from the free-throw line in the postseason and was reluctant to attempt a shot from anywhere on the floor late in games. That led to him spending critical minutes on the bench.

Simmons missed a stunning 10 free throws in Game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks and helped blow a 26-point lead in a loss. His defining moment, though, was in the Game 7 loss at home.

With a chance to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, Simmons surrendered the opportunity to play postseason hero and passed on an open look at the rim because he was afraid he would get fouled.

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Simmons did not attempt a shot in the fourth quarter in Game 2 against the Hawks. He did the same in Games 4 through 7 — going 0 for 0 in the final period. Not one single shot in the fourth over five playoff games, according to Associated Press.

For now, it’s anybody’s guess how the long-drawn saga would end. Simmons did not make his scheduled media availability on Tuesday. Rivers said Simmons would be welcome to return to practice but with the Sixers starting out their campaign on Friday without any assurance of who’s going to fill in at the pivotal point guard spot, doesn’t quite ring of a team who are ready to challenge for the NBA title.