Report: Nets' Ben Simmons, 76ers Reach Settlement on Grievance over 2021-22 Salary

Featured Columnist IVAugust 15, 2022

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 10: Ben Simmons #10 of the Brooklyn Nets warms up before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on March 10, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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The Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons reached a settlement in his grievance regarding the salary the team withheld amid his absence during the 2021-22 NBA season, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark added the terms of the deal are confidential, so it's unclear how much money Simmons will collect. He reportedly sought to regain almost $20 million of his $33 million salary from last year.

The Sixers contended the three-time All-Star was in breach of his contract when he failed to arrive in time for the start of training camp and didn't play in the preseason or regular season.

Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer provided more context last October: "Philadelphia views Simmons' refusal to report to training camp as not fulfilling the terms of his contract. In dialogue with league-office personnel and players union officials, the Sixers appear to be within their rights to withhold that lucrative check."

Simmons' agent, Rich Paul, said an interview with The Athletic's Shams Charania last November the fines and overall scrutiny "has furthered the mental health issues for Ben." Paul added his client was in a place mentally to where he could return to the court:

"This is no longer about a trade. This is about finding a place where we can help Ben get back to his mental strength and get back on the floor. I want him on the floor playing the game that he loves. I want Ben on the floor whether that’s in a 76ers uniform or any other uniform, that’s not up to me, but I want him in a state where he can resume play. We want to cooperate and want to work him back on the floor."

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By February, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported Simmons forfeited more than $19 million in fines and hadn't received a paycheck since collecting the $8.3 million owed to him on Oct. 1, 2021.

"Every two weeks the team sends a notice with an explanation of all the fines he has accumulated for failing to render services, instead of a $1.375 million paycheck," Shelburne wrote.

The Sixers finally traded Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 10. The 26-year-old has yet to make his debut for the Nets due to a lingering back problem. He underwent back surgery in May with the hope he'll be ready for the start of training camp this fall.