NBA
Nets: Ben Simmons was credited a Year of Service for his 2021-22 holdout season
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated20 Jul 2023
After losing to the Hawks in the 2021 playoffs, Ben Simmons requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. The former #1 overall pick did show up to the 2021-22 training camp, but would not fully participate. He also would not play in the regular season. Eventually, he was traded at the deadline to Brooklyn. Simons held out the entire season. However, was credited a Year of Service for his 2021-22 holdout season under the league’s new CBA.
He claimed he was sitting out in Philadelphia due to mental health issues, which is something a lot of pros deal with. When he came to Brooklyn, the three-time all-star claimed knee and back issues that kept him out the remainder of 2021-22.
In April 2022, Simmons underwent back surgery to repair a disk. Simmons was able to receive the Year of Service under a side letter that was a part of the new CBA. The league noted that these rules would not apply to anyone else. They do not want to set a precedent for similar cases in the future.
Ben Simmons Receives Credit For Year Of Service During 2021-22 Holdout Season https://t.co/a0EATB88LR
— RealGM (@RealGM) July 20, 2023
Ben Simmons was credited a Year of Service for his 2021-22 holdout season
When Simmons sat out the entire 2021-22 season, the Brooklyn Nets his full salary that season. The 76ers previously withheld around $20 million of his salary. In August 2022, the two parties settles a grievance. It allowed Simmons to receive a portion of that salary.
The Year of Service he was credited for his 2021-22 holdout season is important. It comes into play when determining whether players are eligible for maximum contracts. Additionally, other benefits come along with how many Years of Service you have in the league. Ben Simmons is now credited with 7 full Years of Service.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported that several teams around the league argued that Simmons should not have received credit for that season. For the Nets last season, Simmons played in 42 games and made 33 starts. He missed the second half of the season due to lingering injuries. Brooklyn is still waiting to see the All-NBA talent that Simmons was with Philadelphia.
