NBA: Sixers reach deal with Ben Simmons in $20M dispute—report
Ben Simmons #10 of the Brooklyn Nets looks on from the bench during the first quarter of Round 1 Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at TD Garden on April 17, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images/AFP
The Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons have reached a settlement in the grievance the former guard filed over $20 million withheld by the club during the 2021-22 season, ESPN reported Monday.
Both sides agreed to a confidentiality clause on the exact settlement, per the report.
All told, the Sixers withheld $20 million from Simmons during his holdout from the club. Simmons was unhappy in Philadelphia and requested a trade.
For their part, the Sixers assessed Simmons $2 million in penalties for holding out of training camp and not taking part in required team activities. Then they docked him his $360,000 check for every game he missed, citing a breach of contract. Simmons cited mental health as a reason for not participating in team activities.
The Sixers eventually traded Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets in the deal that sent James Harden and Paul Millsap to Philadelphia. The Nets also received Seth Curry and Andre Drummond in the swap, in addition to Simmons, who never played a game for the Nets either.
