What a difference a handful of days makes. The week began with the Sixers continuing to say the right things, at least in public. Stalwarts of the red, white, and blue spent Media Day noting just about any which way that Ben Simmons continues to be an integral part of their campaign for the title, never mind his scorched-earth stance. By weekend, however, they began taking a more hardline approach; following a declaration from the National Basketball Association (NBA) front office underscoring no-work, no-pay provisions in the uniform players contract, they held in escrow the second tranche of the three-time All-Star’s salary.
The amount is no small potatoes; at $8.25 million, it represents a quarter of Simmons’ pay for the year. The intent is clear: The Sixers want him to report for work as soon as possible, and they will be deducting from the withheld salary any and all fines he incurs until he does. Which, needless to say, is part and parcel of the negotiating playbook. The carrot did not work; hopefully, the stick will. Then again, it’s not as if he did not anticipate things coming to a head. In fact, by all accounts, he figured there would be an impasse, and already expressed willingness to forego any earnings due him if it means getting his point across.
The bottom line is that Simmons no longer wants any part of the Sixers. It isn’t simply that he got hurt by the immediate reaction to his poor performance in the 2021 Playoffs to the point of burning bridges; it’s that he can no longer stomach playing in front of hostile fans he feels should have had his back instead. President of basketball operations Daryl Morey and head coach Doc Rivers both know they’re way past the point of no return. And if they make like they want him back, it’s only because they’re trying to prop up his trade value.
The risk, of course, is in Simmons calling the Sixers’ bluff. What if he felt the heat and found himself compelled to suit up? Does Rivers really think he will be in the proper frame of mind to give his all? It’s precisely because he proved to be nowhere near his best when though he was fully committed that the poop hit the fan in the first place. Imagine what he can and will produce with his heart not in his job. In any organization, the worst kind of employee is that who feels he is being forced to stay; he becomes even more of a liability by being around rather than if he remained away.
At this point, the Sixers have no choice. They need to trade him, and fast. It doesn’t matter if they get pennies to the dollar in the process. The longer the situation drags out, the more the wounds will fester. Just ask the Rockets with James Harden. Or the Pelicans with Anthony Davis. In the NBA, addition by subtraction is real — and Morey knows it.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
