Philadelphia 76ers All-Star guard Ben Simmons changes courses and decides to meet with team doctors after all, per ESPN. It’s still unclear what the meeting means for Simmons’ return; however, it was a positive sign for 76ers fans that he’s moving slowly in the right direction. The 76ers began fining Simmons due to his failure to live up to the contractual obligations. It worsened when Simmons seemed uninterested in cooperating with the organization about meeting with the team doctor to address his mental health.
Ben Simmons has not accepted any off-court help from the 76ers and there's no timetable for his return, sources have told @ramonashelburne.
"There is frustration mounting." pic.twitter.com/0DqunuUoZx
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 2, 2021
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Ben Simmons Continued
The fines continued late last week, due to his missing of the Detroit Pistons game and not relaying basic information surrounding his meetings with the team’s mental health specialist provided by the NBA, reported ESPN. The Philadelphia 76ers also began fining Simmons for failure to participate in basketball-related requirements such as training, film study, and team responsibilities. Simmons started with four years and $147 million left on his contract. In fact, he has finally begun showing up for daily basketball activity and plans to do so more consistently, per sources.
This stand-off between both parties spanned approximately four months, since the Eastern Conference semifinals debacle with the Atlanta Hawks. Shortly after, Simmons requested a trade. He openly told the team that he has no interest in playing for the organization going forward. The 76ers have attempted to shop around Simmons. However, they have not seen any standout offers equivalent in value of Simmons. There were rumors at one point of Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown and Simmons’s trade, but that has yet to be set in motion.
Despite the absence of Simmons this season, the 76ers have still found ways to win games, 8-3. They also won four games without forward Tobias Harris whose out because of COVID-19. Thus far, Simmons has incurred $2 million dollars in penalties. Due to Simmons’ mental health admission, he experiences a limited return to the team. The 76ers stopped officially fining him, late October when he announced he couldn’t perform due to mental health.
