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Ben Simmons Acknowledges List of Hefty Fines Coming His Way

Back in August, key members of the Sixers organization flew out to Los Angeles to make a pitch to their three-time All-Star Ben Simmons. As the star guard's
Justin Grasso|
Ben Simmons Acknowledges List of Hefty Fines Coming His Way
Ben Simmons Acknowledges List of Hefty Fines Coming His Way

Back in August, key members of the Sixers organization flew out to Los Angeles to make a pitch to their three-time All-Star Ben Simmons. As the star guard's agent requested a trade on his behalf months prior, the 76ers wanted to salvage the situation as they didn't have any desirable trade offers on the table.

A presentation from Daryl Morey, Doc Rivers, Josh Harris, and Elton Brand didn't do the 76ers any favors as Simmons stood firm on his trade request. Not only did he make it clear he wanted to be traded still, but Simmons told his employers that he didn't plan to show up for work when training camp rolls around.

Considering training camp is mandatory, Simmons will be fined for his absence as expected. However, the star guard plans to hold out for as long as he's a member of the Sixers. 

Since Daryl Morey and the front office don't seem to have any plans to trade Simmons anytime soon, he could end up holding out for all of the 2021-2022 season. 

In that case, Simmons will see a ton of hefty fines. Recently, Bobby Marks of ESPN broke it down. And when an image of Marks' assessment regarding the fines hit Instagram, the disgruntled Sixers star saw it and acknowledged it with a "like."

Everybody knew Simmons was going to play hardball this season. As many assumed the star would eventually show up for work since the fines would rack up throughout the course of the year, Simmons reportedly made it clear behind the scenes that he will take the entire year off and face the consequences that come with doing so if he's not traded to another team.

Realistically, Simmons could lose a lot of money this season. While the Sixers are willing to trade him, they will not dish out the three-time All-Star for pennies on the dollar. Daryl Morey intends to wait for the right deal to come across his lap rather than give in and sell Simmons for less than what the Sixers think he's worth.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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