Ben Simmons reportedly won’t play Thursday against the 76ers, but here's why things could still get ugly

Ben Simmons hasn’t played in an NBA game since the Philadelphia 76ers were eliminated from the playoffs last June. And as he apparently nears a return as the newest member of the Brooklyn Nets, some details have emerged about when that might be.

Unfortunately for Sixers faithful who might’ve hoped it would come Thursday in Philadelphia, it won’t…but they still may get an opportunity to see Simmons back at Wells Fargo Center.

According to Stadium’s Shams Charania, Simmons won’t play in Thursday’s game as he continues to recover from back soreness, but he is expected to make the trip and join his team on the bench.

Simmons is not likely to get a warm reception however he returns after refusing to suit up this season for the team that drafted him first overall in 2016. But it’d be hard to find a single NBA fan who didn’t want to see him face that on the court — play against his old team, take the boos and jeers and stand tall against the same team he felt slighted by.

And the Nets really could’ve used him in the matchup, particularly as a defender against James Harden — Jayson Tatum just dropped 54 on them. They’ll likely be slight underdogs on the road.

There’s optimism he can return later this month, according to Charania. It couldn’t come sooner for a Nets team in a four-game losing streak and clinging to a spot in the play-in tournament. They still have the best odds to win the Eastern Conference at +280 on Tipico Sportsbook.