National Basketball Association

Reports: 76ers will draft Ben Simmons with the No. 1 overall pick

Published Jun. 21, 2016 12:59 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Philadelphia 76ers informed Ben Simmons on Tuesday that they plan to select him first overall at the NBA Draft on Thursday, Cleveland.com first reported.

This morning Philadelphia 76ers informed camp of Ben Simmons he would be taken No. 1 in NBA Draft, league sources tell @clevelanddotcom.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 21, 2016

The Phildelphia 76ers have informed Ben Simmons they will select him with the No. 1 pick Thursday, source says (@ChrisBHaynes 1st)
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) June 21, 2016

Simmons, 19, has been projected as the No. 1 overall pick for some time and had a private workout with the Sixers on Tuesday — the only such workout Simmons has done.

Inside today's workout with @BenSimmons25

[ ? » https://t.co/hFjA2cgwxI ] pic.twitter.com/NAyViCqnBN
— Philadelphia 76ers (@Sixers) June 21, 2016

The Australian-born forward averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game in his freshman year with the LSU Tigers this past season. And he appears to be ready for the next challenge:

The 76ers are coming off four consecutive losing seasons, the last one a miserable 10-72. They last reached the playoffs in the 2011-12 season.