Ben Simmons cops $27 million blow amid ugly 76ers standoff
Ben Simmons' unprecedented NBA standoff with the Philadelphia 76ers has reportedly cost the Australian star roughly $27 million in lost wages this season, reports say.
The 76ers and the former No.1 pick in the 2016 draft remain at an impasse over Simmons' pre-season trade demand, which came on the heels of a disastrous playoff exit last season.
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Four months into the season, Simmons has been fined more than $19 million (USD) by the Sixers for 'failure to render services' under the massive contract extension he signed in 2019.
Seven months have passed since Simmons' trade request, and four since his memorably short return to the team, in which his was kicked out of pre-season practice by head coach Doc Rivers.
Sixers management, including general manager Daryl Morey, have stated publicly they are willing to let the saga play out until Simmons' contract is up in 2025, adamant that they will not trade the 25-year-old for anything less than a package that returns an equally impactful All Star level player and a suite of draft picks.
According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Simmons has not cashed a cheque from the 76ers sinc October 1st, while his lost salary could go into the tens of millions by the end of this season.
"Every two weeks the team sends a notice with an explanation of all the fines he has accumulated for failing to render services, instead of a $1.375 million paycheck," Shelburne wrote.
"By the end of the season, if he does not play for the Sixers or any other team, Simmons could lose another $12 million."
However Simmons, who has reportedly kept in good shape in case a mid-season trade does eventuate, remains unperturbed by the ongoing financial penalties.
Can someone please give Ben Simmons better advice? Because sitting out and losing $19M seems like bad counsel.
— Isaac (@WorldofIsaac) February 1, 2022
So Ben Simmons has lost $20 million and counting and the @sixers got better without him?
Suboptimal.— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) February 1, 2022
Having already earned roughly $60 million prior to his standoff with Philly, Simmons is reportedly determined to leave the franchise having decided it is more important to get to a 'better place'.
"We don't give a f*** about the money," one source close to Simmons told Shelburne.
"That's not what this is. It's hard for people to understand. But if you believe in what you're doing and that this is not the right situation for you, and you're trying to get to a better place, the money doesn't matter.
"Obviously it's a financial hit. But you adjust."
Ben Simmons unhappy about treatment from Philadelphia 76ers
Since all this began during the offseason, we've heard various reports on what exactly soured Simmons on the Sixers: issues with Rivers, issues with MVP candidate Joel Embiid and fan reaction — those are just a few.
And now we have more to add to the ever-growing list of gripes Simmons reportedly has with the team.
Simmons' inexplicable decision to pass on an open layup during game seven of the Eastern Conference semi-finals against Atlanta sparked a wider backlash over his game as whole - notably his continued inability and reluctance to shoot from distance, as well as his poor free throw percentage.
According to Shelburne, Simmons was hurt by public comments from Rivers and Embiid questioning his play in the hours after their devastating playoff exit.
Simmons was reportedly unhappy because he had not criticised Embiid when he memorably struggled during the 76ers' playoff series loss to the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
"According to sources close to Simmons, he's upset that Embiid seemed to blame him for last season's playoff loss, when Simmons did not blame Embiid for Embiid's poor showing in the playoffs against the Toronto Raptors in 2019," Shelburne wrote.
"He's frustrated that Rivers didn't come to see him while he was training in Los Angeles last summer."
Shelburne says past slights "have become magnified with the passage of time," and, boy, does that ever seem true here.
Embiid did comment on Simmons missing a wide open shot in their Game 7 playoff loss to the Atlanta Hawks, calling it a "turning point" in the game.
There's a difference between calling out a teammate (Embiid didn't even say Simmons' name) and fully blaming them for a loss produced by the entire team.
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