The first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Ben Simmons was living up to his draft status early on in his career. He was named an All-Star three-straight seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers from 2018-19 to 2020-21. Simmons had finishes of fourth and second in Defensive Player of the Year. He made an All-NBA Third Team in 2019-20.
Still just 28 years old, there is perhaps still time for Simmons to regain the standing in the league he once had. It just doesn’t seem likely. Simmons has become the butt of many jokes in recent years and is seen as one of the most overpaid players in the league. He has played just 57 games over the last three seasons.
HoopsHype recently posted a list that saw Simmons on top of it. It serves as further proof on how Simmons is currently seen as an overpaid, rarely available player.
Ben Simmons Wealth From NBA Further Revealed in Online List
Simmons Has One Year Remaining On Current Deal
Simmons has signed two contracts in the NBA since being drafted in 2016. His rookie deal was for four years, $26,620,450. He then agreed to a five-year extension worth $177,243,360 which began in the 2020-21 season. Now with the Brooklyn Nets, Simmons has one year remaining on that deal for $40,338,144.
The 76ers traded Simmons to the Nets on February 10, 2022 in a deal that netted Philadelphia James Harden. Simmons did not play at all for either team in the 2021-22 season. In the 2021 postseason, Philadelphia lost in the second round to the Atlanta Hawks in seven games. Simmons was scrutinized by many late in the series, as it seemed he had lost all of his confidence. There was a viral moment where Simmons passed up what was seemingly an easy dunk with the 76ers down two in the fourth quarter in the deciding seventh game.
Simmons has missed two full seasons while in the NBA, his first in 2016-17 as well as 2021-22. Since being drafted, Simmons has appeared in 332 career regular season games. He has career earnings of $163,525,665 since entering the league. If you do the math, that is $446,791 per game. According to HoopsHype, Simmons is the highest-paid player per game in NBA history.
The top of the list is littered with players who have earned a large contract but also missed a bunch of time in their career with injury. Second to 10th place on HoopsHype’s list in order are Joel Embiid, Zion Williamson, John Wall, Kristaps Porzingis, Lonzo Ball, Markelle Fultz, Jonathan Isaac, Bradley Beal, and Anthony Davis.
Average Earnings Per Game Will Increase After 2024-25
In the last two seasons for Brooklyn, Simmons has appeared in only 57 games. He played just 15 in 2023-24. Nobody is able to say with a straight face that they believe Simmons will play in all 82 games in 2024-25.
If by some miracle he does, his average amount earned per game will still increase for his career. Since he is due to make over $40 million in the upcoming season, Simmons would earn around $491,929 per game if he somehow went the entire season without missing an outing.
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