The situation in Philadelphia grows more volatile by the day. In the latest turn of events, Joel Embiid finally spoke up about the whole ordeal, putting Simmons and the whole situation on blast.
Before Thursday night ended, however, Ben made headlines again for liking a rather interesting Instagram post, listing the fines he could face for missing practices and games.
Ben Simmons likes a post of a breakdown of potential fines he could face for missing practices/games.
(h/t @ProCityHoops) pic.twitter.com/F5tlpWIo1M
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 1, 2021
The sum of potential losses is roughly $22 million, which is an absolutely insane amount of money to give up for just not showing up to work.
But what does it mean that Simmons liked the post?
On one hand, it could mean that he’s dead serious about never playing another game for Philly. After last season’s meltdown, it’s entirely possible that he’d rather lose out on millions than play for the Sixers again.
Philadelphia 76ers players wanted to travel to Los Angeles this week to meet with Ben Simmons and spend time convincing their All-Star teammate to commit to the 2021-22 season with them, but they were informed not to come and that Simmons did not want to meet, sources tell The Athletic.
Simmons has mentally checked out as a member of the 76ers, sources said, meaning whether or not he ever appears in Philadelphia this season the organization may never again receive the same dedicated player.
On the other hand, it could just be Ben poking fun at the whole situation. With all the rumors and gossip floating around, Ben himself has stayed relatively quiet through it all. He has never outright denied the reports, lending a whole lot of credibility to the idea that he wants out. He also never said that he was willing to forgo millions.
Whatever the meaning of Simmons’ strange IG activity, this saga has been quite a spectacle to witness, and nobody knows how it will end.
