Philadelphia 76ers are trying to decide if Ben Simmons is getting paid this year. After the player failed to report for training camp and play in the preseason, they filed a grievance against the star forward. The dispute started last summer and continued through the regular season. Simmons was eventually traded to Brooklyn. Since then, however, he has yet to play. Simmons, according to the 76ers, has not reported for both preseason and regular seasons. Simmons claims that he is suffering from mental illness. His camp hopes that the CBA clause will support this claim. The Philadelphia 76ers hope that Simmons’ clear breach of his contract will prevent them from receiving any of their money this year.
Philadelphia claims it will only pay a quarter of his salary, while the fine for not playing was $8.25million. This is not good news for the NBA star’s finances. But it’s not surprising given that the fine is only a quarter of what Simmons makes. The fine could go up to $32 million if he doesn’t play all season. Simmons has yet to receive his first paycheck this year, and his absence from the start of training camp and games has cost the 76ers over $19 million in fines. If the NBA doesn’t make his demands, the fine could go up to $12 million.
Another question is whether Simmons’s cash would be used by the NFL owner to help their team. While it is possible that they would use the money to help the team financially it would also require that the owners use some of the money for their own needs. After all, the player has made more than $60 million over his career. If the owner feels that the money is not sufficient, he can mandate a limit on total costs to protect the team.
Simmons could be paid more if Simmons is traded, even though the NBA playoffs will return to Philadelphia this year. The 76ers traded him to the Brooklyn Nets for James Harden, and his salary will increase significantly in the process. However, Ben Simmons is angry at being the scapegoat after the Hawks’ loss. He believes Doc Rivers should have flown Ben Simmons to Los Angeles.
Ultimately, the decision will come down to the money. Although the 76ers are willing to take a huge financial hit in order to make this happen, they’re in no hurry to trade Simmons. They can’t afford to lose Simmons before the offseason, even if they do. They might as well wait for the season to end and let the deal go through until the offseason.
Ben Simmons is upset after the disappointing playoff season for the 76ers. Joel Embiid, his teammate, blamed him and led to the loss against Atlanta Hawks. The Sixers, though, were not ready to make a playoff run without him. They are a title contender with Embiid back. Even though the Sixers did not make the playoffs, their record of beating Kevin Durant on the road is impressive. Rich Paul tried to convince Ben Simmons that he should stay in Philadelphia after the Hawks loss. But he told the star that he had no leverage if Simmons didn’t return.