Ben Simmons divorce turned on its head by shock 76ers U-turn

Ben Simmons is reportedly no longer in the dog house with his team after a dramatic backflip on the $2 million taken from him.

Ben Simmons at 76ers training

The Philadelphia 76ers have reportedly stopped fining Ben Simmons for missing practices and skipping the team’s early season games.

The Australian was reported to have coughed up more than $2 million in fines since he first skipped the team’s training camp and pre-season games.

He has also been absent from the team’s first three games of the new NBA season.

The 25-year-old has told teammates face to face he is not mentally ready to play for them.

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It has prompted a fierce backlash from Philadelphia fans and All Star teammate Joel Embiid initially said “I don’t care about that man”.

Simmons was also sent home from training and suspended for one game when he failed to participate in a training drill and had been spotted snubbing the team’s group huddle at the end of a training session.

Embiid has since performed a U-turn and asked the team’s fans ahead of their first home game of the NBA season last week to continue to support Simmons “because he’s still our brother”.

Ben Simmons. Photo: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images/AFP.

The team’s backflip has now been backed up by action with ESPN reporting Tuesday morning Simmons will not be fined for the future games he misses as a result of his mental health issues.

Senior reporter Ramona Shelburne said on ESPN the team has taken Simmons’ mental health declaration “in good faith”.

However, the team appears completely divided on Simmons’ absence with reports last week claiming the team is “filthy” Simmons is using mental health to support his decision to bench himself so far this season.

It was further claimed over the weekend that some within the Sixers doubt Simmons’ claims.

ESPN’s Phil Murphy told Triple M’s Dead Set Legends some within the Sixers believe Simmons’ decision not to suit up “seems more like petulance than mental health issues”.

At the time Simmons was also reported to have cited a back injury as the reason he skipped a training session last week. Local Philadelphia sports radio presenter Howard Eskin claimed the team did not believe Simmons about the injury or his mental health revelation.

“According to sources, belief by #Sixers is Ben Simmons is faking injury and mental illness,” Eskin posted on Twitter.

“He came in 2day and said he had back stiffness and mentally not ready to play. Mental illness is serious issue and team is livid Simmons went down that road. Team plans to fine him every game.”

The team’s latest decision, however, shows Simmons has the team’s support as he continues to stay away for an indefinite amount of time.

Joel Embiid addressed the fans. Photo: Twitter

The entire saga surrounds Simmons’ official request in August to be traded by the team following the shambolic mess during their season-ending series loss to Atlanta in the Eastern Conference playoffs. At the time it appeared Embiid and coach Doc Rivers threw Simmons under the bus by blaming his meltdown as the reason the team was eliminated.

Philadelphia head of basketball operations Daryl Morey continues to hold out on trading Simmons and said last week the stand-off could take four more years if an attractive trade offer is not received.

Simmons still has four years and around $200 million remaining on his contract.

Morey has even said publicly the team will only entertain trade offers of a like-for-like player — which means an All-Star player — and he is refusing to blink first.

Morey has thrown out some wild trade requests in recent times as well. The Portland Trail Blazers have long been linked with a trade for Simmons but the likes of Damian Lillard could be a bridge too far.

The Sixers even targeted another player in CJ McCollum, but demanded three first-round picks and three pick swaps as well, a deal that Portland refused.

The Golden State Warriors also refused to deal for Simmons when Morey reportedly wanted James Wiseman, Andrew Wiggins, the No. 7 and No. 14 overall picks and two future first-round picks for Simmons.

The new comments from his teammates may paint a rosier picture but Simmons has been making plenty of moves off the court.

He is selling his 3000 square foot, $AUD4.3 million Ritz-Carlton apartment and his $6.7 million New Jersey mansion.

Former 76ers star and two-time basketball hall of famer Charles Barkley said that the fans speak louder than words and Simmons’ time in Philly is “over now”.