New York, Nov 5 (AFP/APP):Australian guard Ben Simmons has been fined his $360,000 game salary by the Philadelphia 76ers for missing Thursday’s NBA victory over Detroit and faces more fines, ESPN reported on Friday.
The report says Simmons has been seeing mental health professionals through the National Basketball Players Association but not cooperating with team physicians regarding such issues and has missed other basketball-related activities.
The Sixers say Simmons has been unwilling to provide basic details of his talks, treatments or evaluations with team doctors or to consult 76ers specialists as a standoff with the club pushes past four months.
Simmons does some individual daily work at the 76ers team facility with teammates and coaches but has asked for a trade and shown no desire to return to the club, which is off to a 7-2 start to lead the Eastern Conference.
Simmons, who has four years and $147 million remaining on his contract, reportedly will be fined not only for missing games but for not attending film study sessions, team workouts, strength training sessions and game-day shootarounds.
Salary money for Simmons is being put into an escrow account. The 76ers had fined him $2 million for a pre-season holdout but released that money when Simmons said he was mentally unready to play and would seek help.
Simmons, 25, has worked with team doctors and his own physicians regarding a back ailment but has reportedly told the team he would not share details of his mental health treatment.
Simmons has reportedly asked for a trade and been unhappy in the wake of criticism about his performance in the 76ers’ loss in last season’s NBA playoffs.
In four prior seasons with the 76ers, Simmons has averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.7 steals a game.
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