Ben Simmons, 76ers reportedly reach settlement on grievance over withheld pay from 2021-22 season
Ben Simmons and the 76ers have reached a settlement on the 2021-22 salary withholding complaint, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
ESPN Sources: Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers have reached a settlement over the complaint the All-Star Guardian filed to recover a portion of the nearly $20 million he was awarded for his failure to play in the 2021 season -2022 games to play were denied. story soon.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 15, 2022
Back in April, Simmons and the National Basketball Players Association filed a complaint against the 76ers over funds withheld from missing games and practices before being traded to the Nets.
According to Wojnarowski, “Both sides initiated arbitration but reached a settlement agreement before the verdict.”
Why did Simmons and the NBPA file a complaint against the 76ers and how much money was agreed? The Sporting News has answers to both questions below.
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Why did Ben Simmons file a complaint against the 76ers?
Simmons filed a complaint against the 76ers to challenge the roughly $20 million salary he was deprived of due to a lack of games and practice during the 2021-22 season.
The 76ers claimed that Simmons violated his contract by not showing up and not attending team activities such as practices and games, but Simmons cited his mental health as a reason he did not attend.
Simmons “disagreed” with the access the team and their doctors were given to diagnose and confirm his mental health. Although both sides attempted to resolve the matter without arbitration, those talks reportedly ended without a resolution, which Wojnarowski said led to the filing of the complaint.
However, the two sides reached an agreement ahead of the scheduled arbitration.
What was the settlement between Ben Simmons and the 76ers?
Wojnarowski reported: “Both sides have agreed not to disclose the exact financial agreement.”
Simmons filed a complaint for “approximately $20 million” back in April, but the withheld portion of that is unknown.
Regardless of the resolution of the complaint, it’s worth noting that when Simmons was traded to the Nets, he received his full salary from the time of the trade until the end of the playoffs from Brooklyn, despite not playing a single game.
In 2021-22, Simmons should make just over $33 million.
He’s been in the nets in 27 of the team’s 82 regular-season games, meaning he’s grossing ~$10,878,881 (27/82 x 33 million). He was also eligible for an additional $23,169 for Brooklyn’s first-round playoff appearance per the NBA’s collectively negotiated playoff money pool.
Simmons is currently on a five-year, $170-max contract, which he signed during the 2019 offseason. He has three years left before becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2025.