Sixers mailbag: Zhaire Smith’s future, Ben Simmons’ availability are once again hot topics

This is the 13th edition of the weekly 76ers mailbag.

Each week, Inquirer.com followers may submit questions to be answered every Friday.

Missed out on the party this week? No worries. You can submit your question(s) for next time by following me on Twitter @PompeyOnSixers and tweeting your inquiry with the hashtag #PompeysMailbagFlow.

Let’s jump right into this week’s questions:

Answer: Thanks for the great question, Sean. And thanks for getting this newsletter started.

I’ll never say never in regards to someone having a future with a team, because Furkan Korkmaz was expected to be on another team this season. Yet, Korkmaz is not only on the team, but he’s also arguably the Sixers’ most valuable reserve. However, Smith’s future with the Sixers is doubtful unless something drastically changes.

You are correct in regards to his being “an absolute ghost since coming to Philly.” The crazy thing is that Sixers coach Brett Brown touted Smith as "Philly built’ and said he reminded him of a young Kawhi Leonard after acquiring the former Texas Tech guard in the 2018 draft. Yet, he rarely got an in-game opportunity to showcase his abilities. A broken foot and a life-threatening allergic reaction sidelined him for most of his rookie season. But he’s been relegated mostly to the Sixers’ NBA G-League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, since then.

The Sixers unsuccessfully attempted to move him before February’s trade deadline. So I don’t see him in their future plans. That’s not a bad thing for him. A change of scenery could provide him an opportunity to get meaningful playing time.

The athletic, yet raw shooting guard has played in only 13 games in his two-year career. A majority of this season’s seven appearances came when the team was showcasing him for a possible trade.

A: Thanks for the question, Brian. I think a coaching change is most likely to happen. Let’s face it. It makes no sense to trade Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons, regardless of how many times folks question if they can co-exist. (They can co-exist.) Both have the potential to be among the league’s top players in a couple of seasons. Secondly, the Sixers may have a tough time trading Al Horford and Tobias Harris due to their lucrative contracts. In regards to Josh Richardson, the Sixers seem to be very high on him. When healthy, he’s been their glue guy. So I think it would have to be the right offer to part ways with him.

As a result, I thought the easiest thing would be to make a coaching switch. In regards to the front office, I think Brand’s circumstances are tougher than what people realize. He was hired into a collaborative decision-making situation. As a result, he shouldn’t take all of the blame for the negative moves that were made.

A: Thanks for asking the question, Christopher. The two-time All-Star point guard is expected to play, assuming the season resumes this summer.

For people unaware of the situation, Simmons missed the final eight games before the league suspended play with what the team called nerve impingement in his back. He told the media on March 11 that his back felt fine, and he was participating in rehabilitation. At the time, Simmons was scheduled to have another evaluation the first week of April. The team did not provide an update on that scheduled appointment. However, an ESPN article stated that Simmons would indeed be available if the season resumes.

The season most likely won’t resume until July, if at all. NBA commissioner Adam Silver won’t give a timeline to make a decision on resuming the season. However, there’s a sense the league will know in June if and how many games will be canceled.

But a July resumption of the season is more than enough time for Simmons to return.