Andrew Bynum. Nerlens Noel. Joel Embiid. Joel Embiid again. Ben Simmons. If Simmons’ agent gets his way, he’ll become the 4th major acquisition to miss at least their first full season with the Sixers in the last five years. Somewhere there’s a punch card for a free number one pick filling up.

According to Bob Cooney, a source who knows Simmons’ agent said there’s “no way” he’d let Simmons play this year.

There are a couple of things at play here if this is true. First, it’s a guy who knows Simmons’ agent (superstar agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group), not his agent on the record (not that he’d go on the record). Second, if Simmons is healthy and cleared there’s only so much his agent can do before he taints his client’s appeal by meddling. Third, it shows that the “I have the power” pissing match could already be beginning between Paul and the Sixers. None of these are really great options.