Philadelphia 76ers fine Ben Simmons over $300k in game salary, want him to cooperate regarding his mental health issues and other duties
The Philadelphia 76ers' ongoing feud with disgruntled star Ben Simmons has added another chapter to the saga. In a report today from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the 76ers have officially fined Simmons his game salary for missing Thursday's game. The team also intends to continue fining Simmons until he "cooperates with team physicians."
After demanding a trade from the Sixers organization this offseason, Simmons has continued to refuse to return to the court for the franchise. It was reported weeks ago that Simmons had finally met with members of the 76ers organization and admitted he wasn't mentally fit to play. Since then the Sixers have stayed patient as they have tried to do everything in their power to get the versatile All-Star back on the floor.
Simmons was set to receive his first of 12 paychecks starting on Nov. 15.
The total amount before taxes/NBA escrow taken out is $1.375M. twitter.com/wojespn/status…
Simmons contends to hold firm on his ground regarding a potential trade from the organization. Since admitting to the Sixers that he wasn't mentally prepared to play, Simmons has continued to do everything in his power to remain away from the team.
This behavior of Simmons is not sitting well with the organization, as the 76ers are now making aggressive efforts to get the 25-year-old back on the court. As ESPN's cap guru Bobby Marks pointed out, Simmons was set to receive his first of 12 paychecks starting November 15. However, the Sixers are reportedly putting Simmons' future salary into an escrow account.
The standoff between Philadelphia and Ben Simmons has been a lengthy one, totaling around four months of back and forth between the heated parties. The rollercoaster of emotions continues to build every week.
Tobias Harris offered his support to Ben Simmons
It's even been reported that Simmons has stated that he has no interest in playing with teammate Joel Embiid anymore. However, when a report from The Athletic's Shams Charania was first released stating that Simmons was not mentally ready to play yet, Sixers teammate Tobias Harris was the first to offer his support.
"And we’ll respect his privacy and space during this time. When he’s ready, we will embrace our brother with love and handle our business on the court. That's it, that's all."
It remains to be seen if there's a mutual ground that can be accomplished between the two parties. It seems as if the Philadelphia 76ers have done everything in their power to get Simmons back on the court, but the disgruntled star continues to keep his stance firm on forcing a way out.
It's been reported that Simmons has shown up to participate in basketball activities around the practice facility but he continues to be uncooperative with physicians regarding potential help with his mental health. It seems as if this situation isn't going to change any time soon.
The longer Simmons sits out, the more the fine totals are going to add up. It will be interesting to see if the Players Association will try to get involved with this recent development. As of now, the Sixers find themselves with a 7-2 record this year.