'I don't know how' Sixers get out of mess with Ben Simmons, says NBA legend Gary Payton

75756A5E-120A-4932-810C-2FD980DB785E

The Philadelphia 76ers announced on Tuesday that star guard Ben Simmons, who ended his dramatic offseason holdout last week, has been suspended for one game due to "conduct detrimental to the team." According to reports, head coach Doc Rivers threw Simmons out of practice for being disengaged, and the suspension was issued shortly thereafter.

As a result of the disciplinary action, Simmons will miss Wednesday night's season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. The 25-year-old has also been fined $1.4 million by the Sixers for skipping four preseason games and offseason absences, per ESPN.

"When you let it get this far and you get into a situation like this, I think that Philadelphia should've made a move from the beginning if he didn't want to be there," NBA legend Gary Payton told the Tiki and Tierney show on Tuesday. "But I really think the player should be accountable, too. You're a professional. If you're going in there, be professional about it. Play as hard as you can. Let other teams see what you're going to do and your value, and get traded...

Podcast Episode
Tiki and Tierney
Gary Payton – Naismith Basketball Hall-of-Fame Point Guard
Listen Now
Now Playing
Now Playing

"I think it's a mess right now, I don't know how they're going to get out of it. Because all it does is bring other players involved. Others players start saying everything, and then all the sudden, it gets to a point where we have feelings about things. And there's no way he can go back to that Philly team... I think they should try to make a move and do what they can, and get whatever they can get out of him [via a trade]."

Sixers superstar center Joel Embiid grilled Simmons after Tuesday's practice, telling reporters that, "our job isn't to babysit somebody." He also mentioned that chemistry hasn't been an issue for the team, and he doesn't care about Simmons or his situation.

Wednesday will mark exactly four months since Simmons scored a measly seven points on just four shot attempts in Philadelphia's Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the East semifinals. In 12 playoff games, Simmons shot a ghastly 25-for-73 (34.2-percent) from the free throw line -- the worst rate in NBA playoff history -- and took just three shots in 56 fourth-quarter minutes across seven games against Atlanta.

With or without Simmons, who's requested a trade, the Sixers currently have the third-best odds to win the Eastern Conference and the seventh-best odds to win next summer's NBA Finals, according to the William Hill Sportsbook.

The entire NBA conversation between Payton and Tiki and Tierney can be accessed in the audio player above.

You can follow the Tiki and Tierney Show on Twitter @TikiAndTierney and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Tim Nwachukwu / Staff / Getty Images