The hurdle between Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers could last a long time. Simmons has asked the Sixers for a trade, and he doesn’t plan to report to the team until his wish is fulfilled. However, the Sixers are in no hurry to move him until he presents himself with a deal that will help his championship chances. In the meantime, the Sixers were able to withhold Simmons’ salary, and all indications are that they plan to do the same.
Thus, the tension between the two sides could ultimately depend on how much money Simmons is willing to forgo away from the team. If he is OK to lose a large amount of cash he would otherwise be entitled to, then perhaps his absence would be extended. If not, maybe he’ll be back on the team and be the best out of the situation until the trade is inevitable.
So, how long is Simmons ready to sit out? For the entire season, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburn, who made the following remarks during a show on The Jump this week:
Simmons, who has a contract with the Sixers for the next four seasons, owes more than $ 33 million for the upcoming campaign, and it’s hard to believe that Simmons – or anyone – will be willing to confiscate much of it. Money to prove just one point. But, at the moment, you never know. Despite Simmons ’role, the Sixers expressed hope that he would finally return to the team on Media Day.
“Ben is a very good player, a big part of this team,” said Daryl More, president of the Sixers of Basketball Operations. “We are disappointed that he is not here. We expect him to return. We expect him to be 76 years old … Every situation is different but we are very optimistic that we can make it work here.”
“I still think he has a world,” Sixers coach Doc Rivers added. “I think his world as a player.”
Simmons is adamant on his role of never playing for the Sixers again, but as Shelburn noted, it will be interesting to see if his position changes when he starts to miss out on game checks.
