Since entering the NBA in 2016, Ben Simmons has made an estimated $89,676,465 through his contracts, according to Spotrac. Some observers believe that figure is only going to rise moving forward despite the ugly situation Simmons has right now with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Sixers selected Simmons with the first overall pick after one season at LSU. The team was very excited for Simmons’ all-around game to be put to the test on the NBA level after he played well in college even if he failed to lead the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament.
Unfortunately, Simmons missed his entire rookie season with a foot injury. It caused Sixers fans to worry if he was going to be like Greg Oden. Simmons made $5,903,160 during his rookie season while rehabbing his injury. There was pressure on him to perform at a high level in the 2017-18 season since he missed his entire rookie campaign.
Luckily for the Sixers, Simmons is used to the pressure. He won Rookie of the Year by averaging 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.2 assists. He made $6,168,840 and also helped the Sixers get to the second round of the NBA Playoffs, where they wound up losing to the Boston Celtics in five games.
During his second NBA campaign, Simmons made his first All-Star Team while earning $6,434,520. He put up 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game and was setting himself up to sign a lucrative rookie-scale extension despite his injury history and lack of shooting skills.
In the summer of 2019, the Sixers signed Simmons to a five-year, $170 million maximum rookie contract extension, which kicked in during the 2020-21 season. He reportedly earned $30,559,000, although it could've slid down a little bit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before the 2019-20 season was suspended, Ben Simmons was averaging 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists. He made his second straight All-Star Game and was primed to be one of the best players to ever play for the Sixers as long as he develops a consistent outside game.
Fast forward to today, the lefty guard has yet to play a single second for the Sixers. He has refused to suit up, citing mental health issues, which many believe is a convenient excuse. Still, even though he's not racking up statistics, he's still getting paid $33,003,936 this year. But that should quickly dwindle with all the fines he has already accumulated.
New rumors have popped up that the Sixers are interested in dealing away Simmons to the Detroit Pistons for Jerami Grant. Some whispers, meanwhile, say the Sixers will keep Simmons and look for a way to acquire James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets to form a Big Three with Joel Embiid.
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