KEY POINTS
- The Philadelphia 76ers imposed a hefty fine on Ben Simmons
- Simmons seems determined to play for a new team as he continues to sit out
- Simmons' agent recently cried foul over the team's treatment of his client
It was only a matter of time before the Philadelphia 76ers would run out of patience, and it appears that day has come.
With Ben Simmons still holding out due to mental health issues, the Sixers have decided to fine the 25-year-old star, who will miss the team's sixth game on the road according to sources cited by Shams Charania of The Athletic.
It was not disclosed how much the Sixers fined Simmons. But given his salary and the fact that it is for six games, the money involved is likely to be huge.
This development comes not long after Simmons reportedly agreed to meet a mental health specialist recommended by the 76ers.
In a report by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Australian cager allegedly accepted the help from the Sixers side after the team had started to fine Simmons again. That included a $360,000 paycheck when Philly faced the Detroit Pistons last November 4.
It has been an up-and-down development between the 76ers and Simmons, with the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year determined to part ways with the club and get traded to another team.
The management has been trying to understand the situation of Simmons, hoping to reach something amicable.
But despite their best efforts, such has only led to Simmons and his camp finding ways to work around fines and potentially suiting up for the season.
The latest alibi that Simmons has been using is the mental health angle.
Before agreeing to see the Sixers' recommended specialist, the camp of Simmons had refused to share the findings of specialists who were allegedly checking on the former top pick.
Furthermore, Simmons' agent Rich Paul batted that the whole situation has been taking its toll on his client.
As mentioned in a previous report, Paul believes that the issue is only aggravating the entire scenario.
"Either you help Ben or come out and say he's lying. Which one is it?" Paul said in another report from The Athletic.
Paul or Simmons has yet to respond to the latest fines imposed by the 76ers.