The Philadelphia 76ers have lost five straight games, but their hot start to the 2021-22 season reportedly hurt Ben Simmons’ trade value.

Simmons has yet to make his debut with the Sixers this season, after demanding a trade at the start of the offseason. Michael Scotto of Hoopshype said he spoke to league executives who felt like the Sixers’ strong start without Simmons lowered his stock.

“Teams know Ben Simmons doesn’t want to be there. I’ve heard this from some executives, too, that when Joel Embiid was healthy and before their recent losing streak, this team was performing well without him. Some executives said to me it further lowered the trade value for Ben. When you lose a star player, you typically struggle, but Philadelphia coming out of the gate, was leading the Eastern Conference.”

Michael Scotto, Hoopshype

Simmons remains away from the team dealing with mental health issues, while the Sixers move forward with their season with the players they have on the roster.

Both the Sixers and Simmons have played this situation as poorly as possible, leaving them stuck with one another. The Sixers were a better defensive team with Simmons on the floor last year.

They allowed 106 points per 100 possessions with Simmons on the floor. This season, Doc Rivers’ team is allowing 110 points per 100 possessions, while their production in the offense remains the same through 15 games.

The Sixers are still hoping either for a hefty trade compensation or Simmons’ re-evaluating his option to return to the team. There seems to be no indication for the latter as we’re moving deeper and deeper into the season.