Embiid says he last spoke with Simmons ‘a week or two before the trade deadline’

During All-Star Weekend, Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid sat down with ESPN’s Malika Andrews to discuss his MVP candidacy, the Ben Simmons trade and the Sixers’ acquisition of James Harden.

Last week, Simmons, in his debut presser with the Brooklyn Nets, told reporters he and Embiid hadn’t spoken since the trade went down. Embiid told Andrews that they last talked “a week or two before the trade deadline.”

“He’s a great player and I think whatever he’s gonna add to Brooklyn is gonna take them to another level too,” he said. “I did a lot of chasing around, trying to get him back and trying to make him feel comfortable again. It was time. I didn’t care anymore.”

Later in the interview, Embiid called Harden “one of the best scorers of all-time” and praised his new teammate’s playmaking.

“We already have a great system in place,” Embiid said. “When you add James, it takes you to another level.”

After the interview, Andrews, on NBA Today, said she and Embiid spoke for about 10 minutes, where he “really hammered home” the lengths he went to reintegrate Simmons.

“He said he talked to him in the offseason. He talked to him in the fall,” Andrews said. “He talked to him before he left, so this was something that happened over and over and over.”