ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the 76ers are no closer to finding a resolution to the Ben Simmons saga. Simmons has yet to play this season after making it known in the offseason that he no longer wanted to be a member of the 76ers organization.
ESPN Sources: Agent for Ben Simmons ? Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul ? met with Sixers? Daryl Morey and Elton Brand to discuss status of stalemate today. Stances unchanged: Simmons no closer to playing this season ? and Sixers determined to bring back a significant player in trade.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 12, 2022
According to Spotrac, the 76ers are fining Simmons his full game check of $360,305 for each game he misses, and the point guard is currently under contract for $33 million this season. Nevertheless, Simmons isn’t backing down just yet despite the hefty fines. It’s unclear which side has the leverage now, as his absence certainly impacts the 76ers defensively. With Simmons no longer on the team, Philly dropped from second in the league in defensive efficiency to 14th this season. However, the Sixers are in good form of late as they have the second-longest winning streak in the NBA at seven games.
At 23-16, Philadelphia trails the Nets by two games in the Atlantic Division and 4.5 games in the Eastern Conference. FanDuel Sportsbook lists the Sixers’ odds to win the division at +320, +1000 to win the conference, and +2100 to win the NBA title.
