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The best working title for how Ben Simmons and super-agent Rich Paul have handled his bizarre holdout would be “Dazed and Confused.” Set in Philadelphia instead of Austin. They seem to have no concrete plan or realistic timeline, not to mention the damage already done to Simmons’ career.
The Philadelphia 76ers are sitting back and laughing at how everything has played out. Maybe they trade Simmons to a non-contender, or just let the 25-year-old miss the entire season while they void checks. Simmons was docked roughly $360,000 for missing the first preseason game, per Philly Voice’s Kyle Neubeck, and the hefty fines will continue until Simmons shows up.
Meanwhile, Simmons’ representation has hilariously lobbied the NBA to refund the money. Sorry, no dice. Neubeck wrote the following:
Simmons has the right to seek arbitration for 30 days and can move for accelerated arbitration after the loss of the hefty game check. Few believe that will be a successful route for Simmons, who has no-showed for work while his camp drip-feeds stories in the media about his desire to play elsewhere.
Simmons’ camp continues to grasp at straws as to why they are unhappy with the Sixers’ organization, blaming everyone from Doc Rivers to Joel Embiid when they need to point the finger at themselves.
Paul has ruined his credibility around the NBA with his sloppy handling of Simmons’ trade request and subsequent holdout. Now agent and player are in panic mode and dreaming up “attention-seeking headlines.” Per Neubeck:
Fair or unfair to Paul — and there’s an argument he draws more heat than any non-player in the league right now — there are people at the team and league level who see this as the continuation of a pattern with his clients, characterized by one league source as throwing stuff at the wall and hoping something sticks. The expectation is that there will be another attention-seeking headline generated in the days to come as they assess their options of what to do next.
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Would Simmons Fake Injury to Get Money?
Simmons’ name remains on the preseason roster despite his ongoing holdout. He’s unlikely to walk through the door at the Sixers’ practice facility, but stranger things have happened.
One new theory has him showing up and claiming he is unable to play because he’s hurt. Remember, Simmons did miss time last season due to knee and back injuries. That would be a loophole for him to recoup $8.25 million.
“There have been growing whispers this week among NBA sources with knowledge of the situation that Simmons could respond by actually reporting to Philadelphia in the coming days,” Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer wrote, “but maintaining that he is injured and unable to compete. Simmons has had noted knee and back injuries in the previous two seasons.”
Blue x White Scrimmage Tickets on Sale
The show must go on with or without Simmons. The Sixers lost their preseason opener 123-107 to the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 4 despite 19 points from Andre Drummond. The team takes on Toronto again on Thursday (Oct. 7) at 7 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philly.
The Sixers also announced tickets for the 2021 Blue x White Scrimmage go on sale on Wednesday (Oct. 6) at 1 p.m. Fans can use the promo code BWSGP and tickets are limited. The “free, open-practice style event” is an intra-squad scrimmage set for Saturday (Oct. 9) at 12:15 p.m. at Chase Fieldhouse, the home of the Delaware Blue Coats, the team’s NBA G League affiliate.
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