Report: Ben Simmons to receive year of service credit for missed 2021-22 season

Ben Simmons didn't step on an NBA court for the 2021-22 NBA season. It started as a holdout for Philadelphia to trade him and evolved into his mental health concerns, all the while Sixers GM Daryl Morey was patient and waited for the right deal, eventually sending him to Brooklyn in the James Harden trade. However, once with a Nets team headed to the playoffs, Simmons did not suit up that season, officially due to back issues.

Simmons is still getting credited with a service year for that season, reports Zach Lowe at ESPN.

The NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, released late last month ahead of free agency, came with a previously undisclosed side letter indicating Ben Simmons has received credit for a year of service for the season in which he held out from the Philadelphia 76ers and was eventually traded to the Brooklyn Nets, sources familiar with the matter told ESPN on Wednesday...

Years of service determine the size of both maximum and minimum contracts for players (the more years of service, the larger the contract), as well as some other benefits. Simmons now has seven years of service, but has only played in five of them having also missed the 2016-17 season due to a foot injury.

The league does not want this to set a precedent, which is why it is in a service letter. The most obvious comp right now is another case in Philadelphia, where James Harden has requested a trade and could hold out of training camp (although he is expected to show up).

Simmons played in 42 games for the Nets last season due to knee and back issues. He averaged 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists a game, but his unwillingness to shoot a jump shot — 89.4% of his shots came within 10 feet of the rim — limits his effectiveness as a shot creator for others. Simmons is expected to be healthy and in the Nets training camp this October.