Big $4.3 million clue in messy Ben Simmons trade saga
For weeks the uncertainty surrounding Ben Simmons' NBA future has focused on when, not if, the Aussie will leave the Philadelphia 76ers.
Simmons has made it abundantly clear he does not want to play for the Sixers again, and has even refused to return for pre-season training with the team, despite copping staggering fines for failing to do so.
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The Sixers have indicated their desire to make things work with Simmons despite the player wanting out of the franchise, but in perhaps the clearest indication yet that his time in the city is up, the 25-year-old has put one of his Philadelphia properties up for sale.
Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Simmons has listed his 3000 square foot home at the Ritz-Carlton Residence for a whopping $AUD4.3 million.
Simmons might need the money to help pay his astronomical fines from the Sixers after eye-watering details emerged about how much his pre-season boycott is costing the NBA star.
The 76ers played their first preseason game this week in a 123-107 loss to the Toronto Raptors, in which Simmons was a notable absentee.
He was fined roughly $360,000 ($AUD495,000) for his absence according to ESPN.
That figure was reportedly higher than Simmons' camp expected, according to the Philly Voice.
The 76ers are withholding 25 percent of Simmons' salary after he failed to report to the team.
The Aussie was supposed to make over $33 million ($AUD45 million) this season. The 76ers are withholding over $8 million ($AUD11 million) with Simmons away from the team.
Simmons can reportedly take the issue to arbitration, though he's unlikely to win that fight, according to the same report.
The 25-year-old signed a five-year, $177 million ($AUD243 million) deal with the team in 2019.
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The 76ers haven't seemed motivated to trade Simmons, despite the ongoing issue certainly proving an unwanted distraction for the franchise and its players.
Teammates — like Joel Embiid — have expressed a desire for Simmons to return to the team, but those calls have so far fallen on deaf ears.
Embiid was part of a group that was reportedly willing to fly to Los Angeles to meet with Simmons, but Simmons allegedly told them not to come.
Simmons' value is at an all-time low after a miserable postseason series against the Atlanta Hawks.
He came under fire for his refusal to shoot the ball and his inability to make clutch free throws. Both Embiid and 76ers head coach Doc Rivers appeared to take shots at Simmons once the 76ers were eliminated.
Those comments frustrated Simmons, who asked for a trade in the offseason.
With the 76ers unwilling to accommodate him, Simmons has two options: Return to the team with his tail between his legs, or continue to lose six figures every time he misses a game.
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