Ben Simmons Files Grievance Against Sixers To Recoup Lost Salary

[RealGM Wiretap]

Ben Simmons has filed a grievance against the Philadelphia 76ers in an attempt to recoup lost salary from fines this season. Simmons was fined nearly $20 million by the Sixers throughout his time with the team from October through the trade deadline in mid-February.

Philadelphia traded Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets at the trade deadline, but that came after the guard missed the entire season with the 76ers. Simmons initially refused to report to the Sixers in the early part of the season. He eventually did report, but was sent home after refusing to work up to Philadelphia's desired level.

Simmons and his camp have cited both a long-term back injury, which has held him since arriving to the Nets, and mental health issues were what kept him from fully joining the Sixers. Philadelphia says Simmons refused to take part in treatment plans and to work with the team to return to playing.

The grievance will now head to arbitration. The NBPA is supporting Simmons in his attempt to reclaim his lost salary.

Via Adrian Wojnarowski, Ramona Shelburne, Bobby Marks/ESPN

[SirClutchKing]

Does that mean the back injury is BS? In order to reclaim the 20 Mil?
I'm asking genuinely I'm confused.

[MartinToVaught]

This is disgraceful. Ben Simmons needs to just go away. I'd say he needs to seek help, but you can't fix malignant narcissism.

[Hipster Doofus]

ahahaha f*** off to the other side of the world in australia, benjamina. what a disgraceful guy.

[MGB8]

He could have built up a tiny bit of goodwill by just moving in and playing with Brooklyn,

But the entitled brat has no shame.

He held out under pretense of being a mentally fragile snowflake. He still got paid some. But he wants the same money as if he had shown up and worked?

He should be blackballed from the league. And the NBPA disbanded.

[cam24thomas]

[MartinToVaught]

Also, I'm not surprised a union led by CP3 is supporting Simmons. It makes sense for one choker and quitter to support another.

[Cowology]

I thought the deadline to file passed a while ago. Am I missing something here?

[LascelleL]

Also, I'm not surprised a union led by CP3 is supporting Simmons. It makes sense for one choker and quitter to support another.

It's a Union, they have to back him here.

[WargamesX]

Does that mean the back injury is BS? In order to reclaim the 20 Mil?
I'm asking genuinely I'm confused.

That is the general sentiment. We don’t know, but sport legal experts said he would have to do something like this to recoup his lost salary when the whole thing began.

[kenwood3333]

If Simmons wins, it will open the door for further abuse of the Nba system by players in the future.

[nedleeds]

Also, I'm not surprised a union led by CP3 is supporting Simmons. It makes sense for one choker and quitter to support another.

It's a Union, they have to back him here.

Union has to back him 100% However the next CBA ... Ben 'Summer's Eve' Simmons is going to provide a massive amount of ammunition for the owners. For a player to want guaranteed contracts, that they can break for essentially any reason, and still get paid -- IN A SALARY CAP LEAGUE is totally insane.

[YourGM99]

Are we going to continue to ignore the dysfunction in Philly and the organizations role in all of this? Now there are reports that the players don’t like doc rivers. James Harden didn’t sign his extension and has an easy exist once Philly gets put out in the first or second round. Also, if the plan is to bring in mike dantoni how is that going to impact Joel embied? Because the only bigs that have worked with dantoni’s system are pick and roll and lob centers.

[nedleeds]

Are we going to continue to ignore the dysfunction in Philly and the organizations role in all of this? Now there are reports that the players don’t like doc rivers. James Harden didn’t sign his extension and has an easy exist once Philly gets put out in the first or second round. Also, if the plan is to bring in mike dantoni how is that going to impact Joel embied? Because the only bigs that have worked with dantoni’s system are pick and roll and lob centers.

Yes actually. Because even if the organization is bad, and the coach is a clown you have to come to work to get paid.

[YourGM99]

Are we going to continue to ignore the dysfunction in Philly and the organizations role in all of this? Now there are reports that the players don’t like doc rivers. James Harden didn’t sign his extension and has an easy exist once Philly gets put out in the first or second round. Also, if the plan is to bring in mike dantoni how is that going to impact Joel embied? Because the only bigs that have worked with dantoni’s system are pick and roll and lob centers.

Yes actually. Because even if the organization is bad, and the coach is a clown you have to come to work to get paid.

He was out for medical reasons… . Kawhi did the same thing in San Antonio, he was cleared to play but continued to sit...

[Jabroni Lames]

BREAKING NEWS: Men doing shady things for money. Details at 11.

[Seasontickets]

It's very frustrating to hear what Ben Simmons has pulled. Correct me here if I'm interpreting this wrong

First he demanded a trade and decided not to show up at Philly camp when Philly could not a find a trade at the time that benefitted them.

Second, he came to camp then said due to Mental Issues he could not play. A total disservice to other players like Kevin Love and DeMar Derozan who play through issues and have been openly advocating and talking about mental health. Ben Simmons has NOT ONCE talked about anything mental health until it benefitted his contract and payment status. I will not dismiss any issue he might have but it is awfully inconvenient when money is on the line.

Third, he finally gets traded and sits out due to "back issues" that apparently occurred since he was out with mental health issues in Philly but were never, not once mentioned until he was in Brooklyn. So now Brooklyn, who is now stuck in the play-in, and could have made the full top 6, has to deal with Ben sitting out so he can make back his 20 million through a grievance about a back injury that he could have used right off the bat in Philly if it was legit?

Lastly, Simmons still has a decent chance of riding Durant's coattails into a championship and get his narrative changed as the NBA requires next year?

If Simmons wins this grievance, they should end guaranteed contracts lol.

[Dennis 37]

In related news NBA fans were informed today that their class action suit, against Simmons for the time in their life wasted reading about him, has been certified.

[dougthonus]

If Simmons wins this grievance, they should end guaranteed contracts lol.

Worth noting the league already allows non-guaranteed deals. This is up for negotiation. Generally speaking, it will never happen though, because you would need a rule outlawing guaranteed deals to stop them from happening. If I'm a player and can go play for X or Y and X guarantees my deal but Y doesn't, I go to X. In the end, the competitive landscape will force guaranteed deals unless expressly prohibited, and I can't even begin to imagine the owners could win that in CBA negotiation.

As for Simmons, who knows. It's not hard for me to believe he has legit mental health issues. He sure plays like it and acts like it. Not for me to decide whether that counts similar to an injury or not, that's for a ton of lawyers to figure out. Sucks if this dude is part of your team though.

[JustLucky]

Does that mean the back injury is BS? In order to reclaim the 20 Mil?
I'm asking genuinely I'm confused.

probably? if I were to guess he needs to get into game shape to play for the nets anyway feels very convenient