Ben Simmons Arrives in Philadelphia as 76ers in Talks With Rich Paul to Bring HIm Back as Early as This Week
Controversial point guard Ben Simmons reported to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Monday night after missing the Philadelphia 76ers' offseason practice and first two weeks of the NBA preseason, sources said.
According to CBS Sports, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday morning that the agent of Ben Simmons, Rich Paul, has been in talks with the Philadelphia 76ers to get the All-Star guard back in Philly as early as this week.
The Ben Simmons Saga Continues
The surprising twist could possibly lead back the Australian point guard to the Sixers after disconnecting with the team officials since August. The possible change could happen in the coming days based on the report.
While the Sixers played the Brooklyn Nets in week 2 of the preseason, sources said that Simmons took a COVID-19 test in the arena. The initial test required by the NBA would be starting several days of testing to clear him for a return to the Philly team.
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Ben Simmons-Sixers Conflict
Based on the report of ESPN, the return of Ben Simmons concluded the several weeks of discussions between the organization and Simmons' representative, the CEO of Klutch Sports, Rich Paul, to get Simmons back into the marketplace.
While Simmons intentionally lost contact with the Sixers to get out in Philly and possibly traded to a title contender team, things did not work well for him, especially since the start of the preseason.
Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement of the NBA, for each preseason game that he would miss, Simmons would lose roughly $360,000 for failing to show up, which so far totaled to more than $1 million for missing three games.
In addition, the Philadelphia 76ers could place a fine against the Australian guard for missing practice sessions. A $2,500 for first absence, $5,000 for the second, $7,500 for the third, and for every practice after, being left to the team's discretion. The penalty can go up to $50,000.
So far, the 25-year-old All-star guard has a remaining $147 million and four years in contract with the Sixers. Simmons had recently become more open regarding the possibility of ending his time away from the team and starting reporting back to Philadelphia.
However, the next step would require him to commit to the city and his team on the court. On the other hand, the Sixers have canvassed the league throughout the offseason for trades. But they have been unable to find a deal that would bring them a comparable star, like Ben Simmons, especially in the backcourt position.
They wanted to have a strong guard like Ben Simmons to build a championship contender around All-NBA center Joel Embiid.
President of basketball operations Daryl Morey and Sixers' head coach Doc Rivers were still hoping to convince Simmons to remain long-term with the franchise.
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Written by: Jess Smith
WATCH: Ben Simmons Reportedly Returns to Philly, Sixers Fans React - From NBC10 Philadelphia