Ben will pay a big price for absence
BEN Simmons is “prepared” to be fined up to $1.3m for skipping the Philadelphia 76ers training camp as his looming exit from the franchise turns ugly.
Simmons is in limbo after informing 76ers officials he no longer wants to be a Sixer and does not intend to report to training camp.
He is so disillusioned and disappointed with the 76ers that he hasn’t answered calls from the franchise for weeks, while he is willing to pay fines to miss pre-season camp as a protest. According to ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst, Simmons’ camp is “prepared for that ramification” if the NBA slaps the Melbourneborn guard with a fine in excess of a million dollars.
Simmons’ relationship with Philadelphia is broken despite having four years and a whopping $147m remaining on his deal.
As brilliant as the guard can be, especially on the defensive end, his lack of an established shot is a glaring and problematic weakness. And when you are a max-level player, raking in $167m over five years, NBA teams expect more from their superstars.
It’s a completely reasonable expectation and one Simmons has failed to meet since joining the world’s best basketball league.
His shooting, even from the free-throw line, regressed so badly during last year’s NBA playoffs that he joined the NBA record books for woeful shot making.
As a result, Simmons’ market value has plummeted, making it difficult for Philadelphia to trade him for the assets they’d want in return and panic is setting in.
The 76ers understandably want a hefty reward for trading the Australian as a max-level Defensive Player of the Year candidate who is also a brilliant passer and almost unstoppable when attacking the rim.
Sadly, rival teams just remember his poor performance in the second round of the NBA playoffs against Atlanta.