Sources: Simmons refusing 76ers' mental helpĪfter Simmons incurred $2 million in penalties for a training camp holdout and limited return to the team, Philadelphia stopped fining him two weeks ago when he told team officials and teammates that he wasn't mentally prepared to play and planned to seek professional assistance.Simmons has been showing up regularly at the team's facility for some daily basketball activity with coaches and individual teammates, but Philadelphia will begin fining him again for failures to participate in other requirements, such as strength training, film study and some presence at team practices and game-day shootarounds, sources said.ĭespite Simmons' absence - and with three victories without starting forward Tobias Harris because of COVID-19 - the Sixers are 7-2 and owners of the best record in the Eastern Conference. Simmons - with four years and $147 million left on his contract - has requested a trade and has expressed no desire to rejoin the team. Build a Simmons deal in the Trade Machineįor the Sixers and Simmons, this is the latest salvo in an increasingly antagonistic four-month standoff.Sources: 76ers fining uncooperative Simmons.After initially holding out, he reported to camp but has yet to play this season. Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons has demanded a trade.
Simmons has worked with mental health professionals via the National Basketball Players Association. Sixers officials believe that they have been supportive of Simmons' stated need for mental health assistance and that they are left no choice but for these actions in response to the three-time All-Star's refusal to provide basic details of his course of mental health meetings, evaluation or treatments or to accept consultation with any specialists arranged by the team, sources said. Earlier this season, Philadelphia released Simmons' money from escrow after he had been initially cooperative on a path toward returning to play. The Sixers will again place Simmons' future salary into an escrow account, sources said. The Philadelphia 76ers fined All-Star guard Ben Simmons his $360,000 game salary for missing Thursday night's victory over the Detroit Pistons and plan to continue fining him until he cooperates with team physicians on his mental health and fulfills other basketball-related obligations, sources told ESPN on Friday.
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