76ers back to fining Ben Simmons

[The Real Dalic]

At this stage this is simply building up ammunition for the negotiations between the owners and players' association.

Players should not be pleased with what is going on.

Why should the players be the ones who aren't "pleased?" Ben Simmons secured a max contract and then is trying to force his way out. That's trash. If he didn't want to be there, sign somewhere else for slightly less, or honor that contract. Those are his only two options.

We can't let players continue to throw tantrums until they get their way while under multiple years of a contract they just signed. I hope Morey stays strong for multiple years just to show every GM that you don't need to bend to their every demand.

[Sixerscan]

If the NBAPA offers their own head doctors, I have a feeling Philly isn't going to win this. But I don't blame them for trying.

Well that's the issue. They want whatever doctor that diagnosed him to come forward and coordinate with the team and Ben's camp is refusing, either because he's making it up or just to be difficult.

[Duke4life831]

I'm sure you realize that NBA has a soft cap and the Sixers wouldn't have 35 million in cap space just by getting rid of him.

Yes I do understand that. But maybe instead of asking for ridiculous returns for Simmons all summer long, he could've gotten good players that weren't superstars that took up 35 million in cap space in return for a trade.

Hell Im sure right now I bet he could get a good player that could help this 6ers team right now in return for Simmons. But no wasting that cap space is much much smarter to do when you have a team trying to win a championship this year...

Well I don't think a "good player" upgrades this roster as much as you seem to think it does. They're already pretty good, and just like an upgrade at the 1 over Maxey probably doesn't take them past the Bucks or full strength Nets.

I mean it means your 1-2 players deeper with your rotation. That is better than nothing.

So back to my original question, what is the plan then for Philly if getting a good player in return isn't worth it?

Force Simmons to return and play and hope all of a sudden he becomes a happy camper and plays hard so he either helps the team or repairs his trade value?

Its clear as day that isn't going to happen. The bridges have been burned, its not just the bridges of Simmons and the front office of the team. The other players on the team clearly are done with Simmons as well. So again what is the plan here for Philly?

[Time for Change]

They really should trade Ben at this point. The situation isn't improving, and the longer this goes on the more it will drag his value down. Sixers are waiting for another star to demand a trade, but it's becoming increasingly unlikely that Simmons will make that trade happen.

I keep coming back to:

- where does Ben fit?
- would he report if traded there?
- what 'fair' value would the Sixers get in return?

I haven't seen a lot of compelling answers that meet all 3 criteria. Seems borderline untradeable.

He has negative value now. He tipped his hand when he said he only wanted to play in LA or SF. If you are any other team why would you offer anything for him, knowing you could get stuck with a max contract who is “not mentally ready to play” for your team? Plus you either pay out or end up in arbitration or a lawsuit against a player, which isn’t good for any franchise.

[Synciere]

There's nothing wrong with the Sixers fining Simmons so long as Morey doesn't go on camera commentating on it or the FO leaks some story about how awesome the team is for fining him or how awful Ben is for sitting out. I don't think they're being unreasonable on the face of things to either be able to do their own evaluations or consult with Simmons' doctors in order to keep paying him. Even though I can understand Simmons potentially worrying that Philly just wants to due pitstop maintenance to rush him back onto the court rather than seriously address his mental health, there has to be some good-faith effort to fulfill his side of the bargain.

Still, I do think Simmons is handling this way better from a PR perspective than he's gotten credit for. He still hasn't gone after the Sixers as far as I know. He seems to be completely against the idea of playing there again, but he's not trying to poison the well so much that they have to trade him. I don't think Philly fans understand how damaging Simmons could be if he and Klutch were the dastardly duo they get portrayed as. The narratives put out by Kawhi's camp are still being circled around on this site despite posters like Grey tirelessly debunking them. If there's any long-term damage being done to the Sixers, it's in their own statements. I don't blame Sixers fans for not supporting Simmons, but this is a pretty tame star breakup that just got be way too public.

^Right!

Philly's damage is going to end up being self-inflicted when all is said and done. Ben will lose some money, but that'll be it. Philly should be more concerned about what's being said around the league by players and future free agents more than anything else.

[Hipster Doofus]

Love it! Keep fining his ass.

You got a mental health problem? No worries, talk to us, who are paying you millions of dollars, and we'll get you the best psychologists in the world. For free!! But noooo, this guy is probably locked up at home playing video games all day.

P.S. I also love that Simmons ain't playing and Sixers are top of the East at 7-2
Benny probably bet that "Oh, cuz I ain't playing, they gonna be losing games and will beg me to join." Nope!

[gp2015]

ownership doesnt want to cut him cheques, they will just keep fining him. This is a group that was cool with the process for like 4 years. They dont care. They had ben sit out a whole season when he could have played. They had joel sit out 2 of them. His only way out is to play well. He has till february. They know they arent winning in the next 3 years regardless of if they keep him or trade him for nothing.

Why again are they not winning in the next 3 years? Anything can happen in 3 years. They're one of the top teams right now without Simmons and if you can trade him for something useful, they'll be even better.

If they can trade him for fox and harkless, they should do that, even if it mean giving up a pick. short of that,there isnt a reasonable way they can get enough talent after essentially letting a guy walk that they put so much into and gave up so much for. They gave up butler, fultz for nothing because they didnt fit. now to give up ben too? they dont have enough assets to aquire good pieces. Theyre holding ben because he and their future picks are their only vehicle to building a championship team. The bucks nets bulls, all have better rosters when you take away their best player and embiid isnt better than kd or giannis. even if harden or irving or holiday go down, the 6ers still arent beating those teams because they are too good. They gotta get a good trade for ben, or reconcile if they want to win the title.

Sorry but the Bulls are not better than the Sixers. Kyrie might not play this season and the Nets need him to be true contenders. Nets are beatable without him.

Anything can happen.

[Zeno]

The next move for Ben is obviously to play and suck and/or start weeping openly during the game.

[MrBigShot]

I'm gonna get some heat for this but I applaud the Sixers for not letting this clown continue to try and game the system to get paid for doing nothing. It's a disgrace to people with genuine mental health issues and anyone falling for his ruse should be embarrassed. He was never going to be "mentally ready" to play because he didn't intend on playing. A clinical mental health condition severe enough to keep you from working is not something that a trade will magically solve, it's something that seeps into every part of your life and has to be treated over time by medical professionals.

If Simmons genuinely has a mental health condition so severe that it prevents him from playing indefinitely, he should see a neutral psychiatrist (aka, not a team doctor and not a players association doctor) and then coordinate with the team to prove it. Of course, that's not going to happen because a neutral doctor wont just give him whatever he wants.

This **** is embarrassing man, we've got literal mods on this board claiming anyone who dares to question the legitimacy of this are just jealous and intolerant of mental health issues.

[bbalnation]

Imagine your employer asking for your mental health records (aka the notes of your sessions with your therapist).

Now imagine your employer is likely to leak those notes to the public: your family, friends, anyone you care for present and in the future.

"Either because he's making it up or because he's difficult". Fanhood doesn't mean reducing ya own humanity mayne.

[Sixerscan]

Yes I do understand that. But maybe instead of asking for ridiculous returns for Simmons all summer long, he could've gotten good players that weren't superstars that took up 35 million in cap space in return for a trade.

Hell Im sure right now I bet he could get a good player that could help this 6ers team right now in return for Simmons. But no wasting that cap space is much much smarter to do when you have a team trying to win a championship this year...

Well I don't think a "good player" upgrades this roster as much as you seem to think it does. They're already pretty good, and just like an upgrade at the 1 over Maxey probably doesn't take them past the Bucks or full strength Nets.

I mean it means your 1-2 players deeper with your rotation. That is better than nothing.

So back to my original question, what is the plan then for Philly if getting a good player in return isn't worth it?

Force Simmons to return and play and hope all of a sudden he becomes a happy camper and plays hard so he either helps the team or repairs his trade value?

Its clear as day that isn't going to happen. The bridges have been burned, its not just the bridges of Simmons and the front office of the team. The other players on the team clearly are done with Simmons as well. So again what is the plan here for Philly?

The Sixers have a pretty deep rotation though. Are like Malik Beasley and Jaden McDaniels that much better than Korkmaz and Niang? If you're playing the guys you bring in it means other people have to sit. The Blazers have the best possible offer for Simmons and they just got beat by the Sixers without Simmons, Embiid or Harris.

Plan is to hold onto him until they get an offer that makes the team noticeably better, just like every other team in the league with a player under contract.

[gp2015]

Imagine your employer asking for your mental health records (aka the notes of your sessions with your therapist).

Now imagine your employer is likely to leak those notes to the public: your family, friends, anyone you care for present and in the future.

"Either because he's making it up or because he's difficult". Fanhood doesn't mean reducing ya own humanity mayne.

Imagine paying someone 30 million to sit on their ass and fake a mental health issue.

[Raptors Realtor]

Not sure who Morey is holding out for at this point, should have traded him before the draft, definitely overplayed his hand. Even if guys like Beal & Dame became available who's to say they'd want a deal centred around Simmons, especially at this point... The league obviously doesn't value Ben as much as Morey.

[sikma42]

This is a bad look for the 76ers.


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Ya they should pay that bum to sit at home waiting for lebron to trade him to LA right

If he is going to mental health professionals through the NBAPA and has provided a diagnosis, this seems to be a bad move.

There is a very real chance that he is dealing with mental health issues. Its not something you play around with and it’s all part of collectively bargained agreement between players and owners. Imo just not a good look and doesn’t do anything positive to help the situation. It’s just silly.


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[Flannerz]

The 76ers have every right to get as much as they can for him. He signed a max deal and is now disgracefully using mental health as an excuse not to play.

[The Real Dalic]

Clown world. Let him go, you can’t force a man to be somewhere he doesn’t want to be. I’m seeing this is racist now srs

If he didn't want to be there, don't sign the contract. He did. So he has to do what the contract says now. Or, he could void it. But no, he won't do that because he's selfish and he knows he'll have people like you defending him and saying absolutely ridiculous stuff like the Sixers are "racist."

A truly awful take.

[Synciere]

Imagine your employer asking for your mental health records (aka the notes of your sessions with your therapist).

Now imagine your employer is likely to leak those notes to the public: your family, friends, anyone you care for present and in the future.

"Either because he's making it up or because he's difficult". Fanhood doesn't mean reducing ya own humanity mayne.

Yeeeaaaahhhhh but...

You have to weigh that against the fact that athletes are basically renting their bodies (and by proxy their minds) to the team. The team deserves SOME insight. I agree 1000% with you, but there's levels to this.

[gp2015]

Clown world. Let him go, you can’t force a man to be somewhere he doesn’t want to be. I’m seeing this is racist now srs

If he didn't want to be there, don't sign the contract. He did. So he has to do what the contract says now. Or, he could void it. But no, he won't do that because he's selfish and he knows he'll have people like you defending him and saying absolutely ridiculous stuff like the Sixers are "racist."

A truly awful take.

He doesn't want to be there but he still sure wants the money.

[bbalnation]

Imagine your employer asking for your mental health records (aka the notes of your sessions with your therapist).

Now imagine your employer is likely to leak those notes to the public: your family, friends, anyone you care for present and in the future.

"Either because he's making it up or because he's difficult". Fanhood doesn't mean reducing ya own humanity mayne.

Imagine paying someone 30 million to sit on their ass and fake a mental health issue.

I can try this "bring a random point up" too...

Imagine being an owner and being paid more than 30 million to do even less.

Am I playing this right? Or?

[Duke4life831]

Well I don't think a "good player" upgrades this roster as much as you seem to think it does. They're already pretty good, and just like an upgrade at the 1 over Maxey probably doesn't take them past the Bucks or full strength Nets.

I mean it means your 1-2 players deeper with your rotation. That is better than nothing.

So back to my original question, what is the plan then for Philly if getting a good player in return isn't worth it?

Force Simmons to return and play and hope all of a sudden he becomes a happy camper and plays hard so he either helps the team or repairs his trade value?

Its clear as day that isn't going to happen. The bridges have been burned, its not just the bridges of Simmons and the front office of the team. The other players on the team clearly are done with Simmons as well. So again what is the plan here for Philly?

The Sixers have a pretty deep rotation though. Are like Malik Beasley and Jaden McDaniels that much better than Korkmaz and Niang? If you're playing the guys you bring in it means other people have to sit. The Blazers have the best possible offer for Simmons and they just got beat by the Sixers without Simmons, Embiid or Harris.

Plan is to hold onto him until they get an offer that makes the team noticeably better, just like every other team in the league with a player under contract.

This makes sense when you have players that actually play and can improve their trade value. Simmons isn't playing, he isn't improving his trade value, his trade value only continues to drop.

So why should we believe that Philly hasn't got a good enough return way before Simmons value truly started to tank, but the longer and worse relationship he gets with Philly, teams will sooner or later come calling offering a great deal for him?

Again if the bridge between Simmons and the team wasn't completely burned, I could see this way of thinking. I could see him playing hard and rebuilding his trade value, then Philly getting a better offer. Thats not going to happen, Simmons isn't going to play another game in a Philly jersey.