Disgruntled NBA star Ben Simmons has declared his willingness to pay $1.3m in fines for skipping the Philadelphia 76ers training camp as the relationship between the star and franchise continues to spiral.
During a meeting with the team last month Simmons informed ownership and the front office that he no longer wants to play for the team and doesn’t intend on reporting for team activities ahead of the season.
According to ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst, Simmons’ management is “prepared for that ramification” if the NBA hits the former No.1 pick with a reported $227,000 for each practice he misses in the offseason.
“[Fining Simmons] is what they could do,” Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective Podcast. “The Simmons side, basically, has told me ‘We are prepared for that ramification.'”
Simmons is using his leverage to force a quick exit out of Philadelphia despite having four years and a $147m remaining on his deal.
The Sixers would rather wait until next season for a trade, giving the Australian ample time to rebuild his value.
If Philadelphia are forced to pull the trigger on a Simmons trade ahead of the season, the franchise will be forced to eat a deal they don’t want.
One team that has expressed immense interest in trading for Simmons has been the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 76ers have engaged in talks with the team even though Simmons has specifically asked to be traded to either the Warriors, Lakers or Clippers.
The only thing holding up a deal between the two teams is the lack of assets that would help the Sixers win now. Minnesota has kept Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns off the trading block so far and that’s unlikely to change.
Players such as D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jaden McDaniels have been offered up but all fall short of Simmons in terms of pure talent.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that both teams are still looking for a third or even fourth team to bring into the deal to get the Sixers more win-now talent.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!