Report: 76ers offer $170 million max contract extension to Ben Simmons
The Philadelphia 76ers want to make sure Ben Simmons remains in the City of Brotherly Love for years to come.
According to ESPN, the team has offered Simmons a five-year maximum contract extension worth around $170 million. The deal has not been signed just yet, but ESPN says the two sides — Philadelphia and Rich Paul, the agent Simmons shares with LeBron James and other NBA stars — are “expected to work through the details toward an eventual agreement.”
From ESPN:
Sixers general manager Elton Brand and Simmons' agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, have until mid-October to finalize a rookie extension, but there's a shared expectation a signed agreement will come significantly sooner, league sources said.
Simmons, 22, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft. He missed his first year with a foot injury but emerged as the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2017. Last season, the 6-foot-10 point guard averaged 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game and was a first-time All-Star.
Simmons is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
The news of Simmons’ extension comes on the heels of an eventful opening few days of free agency for the Sixers. While Philadelphia lost Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat, the front office reached an agreement for a five-year extension with versatile forward Tobias Harris while also plucking five-time All-Star Al Horford away from the Boston Celtics on a four-year deal.
In losing Butler, the team arranged a sign-and-trade with Miami, acquiring guard Josh Richardson to fill out the starting lineup.
[Free agency updates: Keep track of the moves, rumors, cap space and more]
Throughout the playoffs, the Sixers often deferred late-game ball-handling and playmaking responsibilities to Butler, relegating Simmons to an off-ball role. With Butler out of the picture, Simmons’ development — especially the emergence of a credible jump shot — will be paramount in the team’s efforts to ascend to the top of the Eastern Conference.
The Sixers pushed the eventual NBA champion Toronto Raptors to seven games in the East semifinals, but lost on Kawhi Leonard’s improbable buzzer-beater.
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