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AP Photo / Matt Slocum, File
Ben Simmons might reconsider his resistance.
According to Kyle Neubeck of Philly Voice, “the financial importance of holding out is starting to take hold in the Simmons camp” after he was fined “about $ 360,000” for skipping the preseason game. Monday against the Toronto Raptors.
According to this report: “Simmons ‘representation had another discussion with the players’ association in which it was reiterated that they would not be able to recover the money deducted from the $ 8.25 million deposited. on deposit, sources said, and it was communicated to the Sixers that those early fines may have been higher than expected. ”
According to ESPN Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks, skipping all four preseason games would cost Simmons $ 1.4 million in fines, money he can only recover if he agrees to a settlement with the Sixers. Even if he’s traded, his new team couldn’t pay him the money he lost in fines.
Missing the first month of the season would cost Simmons around $ 7.2 million in fines, a big change.
The question is, what happens next?
In a sense, Simmons not reporting to the team gives them some leverage. It’s less of a distraction than having a disgruntled Simmons around the team, and if the Sixers start strong without him, they can comfortably continue to hold out for the best possible value in a trade.
It also puts pressure on Simmons to switch positions, given the amount of money he stands to lose by not declaring.
Certainly, Simmons returning to the squad and playing at an extremely high level could help rehabilitate his business value around the league and help facilitate a deal. You would imagine Daryl Morey and Doc Rivers would communicate so much to him. But if a disgruntled, sulky Simmons returns to the Sixers and is a distraction in the locker room and offers a half-hearted effort on the pitch, things could get pretty ugly.
And if the Sixers start badly with or without Simmons, it could potentially force their hand in trade talks. The last thing the Sixers can afford is to lose a bonus season from superstar Joel Embiid.
With the regular season starting just under three weeks away, that remains the biggest question mark around the NBA, outside of Kyrie Irving’s vaccination status and availability for Brooklyn Nets home games this year.
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