It seems like Philadelphia 76ers isn’t done with spending money despite signing Tobias Harris and Al Horford to big deals. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, 76ers have now started working with their All-Star guard Ben Simmons towards a max contract extension.
Wojnarowski reports that the two sides are closing in on a five-year deal, which would net Simmons $170 million. The two sides still haven’t inked the agreement, as there are still some smaller issues that need to be ironed out. There is an October deadline for rookie extensions for both sides to be aware of, but the expectation is that “a signed agreement will come significantly sooner.”
Once Simmons signs a deal, Philly will have all of their four best players on the long-term contract. Joel Embiid signed his five-year, $150 million rookie extension in 2017, Harris inked five years, $180 million several days ago, while Horford will play on four years, $109 million deal.
The 76ers took Ben Simmons first overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, but he ended up missing his rookie year due to a foot injury. He returned in time for 2017/18 season and helped the team reach the playoffs while winning the NBA Rookie of the Year award.
Simmons had even better 2018/19 season, earning his first All-Star appearance and being a part of Philly team that reached Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. He finished the regular season averaging 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game.
