Getty Image / Tim Nwachukwu
- Ben Simmons has yet to suit up for the Philadelphia 76ers this season
- Today we found out just how costly his holdout has already been for him
- Read more BroBible articles here
The Philadelphia 76ers have played their way within a half game of first place in the Eastern Conference, but that hasn’t drawn attention away from the biggest story of their season. The prevailing absence of Ben Simmons remains the biggest topic of conversation about this 76ers season.
With every day that passes, a Ben Simmons trade seems less and less likely. Without a trade, Simmons is expected to sit out the rest of the NBA season.
Today, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne gave us a glimpse of what Simmons’ absence is costing him this season.
According to Shelburne’s report, Simmons has already been fined over $19 million for “failing to render services”. If his holdout continues for the rest of the season, he’ll lose another $12 million.
While those numbers may seem like a lot of money to lose, one source close to Simmons claims that he doesn’t care about the money.
“We don’t give a f–k about the money. That’s not what this is. It’s hard for people to understand. But if you believe in what you’re doing and that this is not the right situation for you, and you’re trying to get to a better place, the money doesn’t matter. Obviously it’s a financial hit. But you adjust.”
At this point, it should almost be the expectation that Ben Simmons will miss out on all $31 million this season. It’s hard to see the 76ers being able to secure a trade for Simmons that would appeal to them and it certainly doesn’t sound like Simmons is going to budge on a return any time soon.
It looks like it will take a lost $31 million dollars and a few more months of Joel Embiid carrying the 6ers for us to see this resolved.