Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers have come to terms on a settlement agreement, more than four months after the three-time All-Star filed a grievance against the team in pursuit of a portion of the nearly $20 million withheld from him during the 2021-22 season, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
The two sides have agreed to keep the exact figures of their settlement confidential.
Prior to the start of the ’21-22 season, Simmons had no plans to report for training camp and intended “to never play another game” for the 76ers, per Wojnarowski. He cited mental readiness as a roadblock standing in the way of his return to the court, and refused resources offered by the Sixers.
Simmons was owed $33 million for the 2021-22 season, and received $16.5 million in advance from the 76ers in the offseason. In mid-November, the Sixers started to fine Simmons $360,000 for each game he missed, but the almost $1.3 million withheld by the team in each of his paychecks still wasn’t enough to cover the overall deductions.
The 76ers argued that since Simmons was in breach of contract under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, the team felt as though it was justified in attempting to recoup the remaining money through his advance. The Sixers also believe the 26-year-old breached his contract by not showing up for the start of training camp or playing in regular season or preseason games.
Simmons’ representatives at Klutch Sports failed to reach a financial settlement with the 76ers before the grievance was filed. However, both sides were able to come to an agreement prior to the beginning of the arbitration process.
