NBA Rumors: Ben Simmons Credited Year of Service from 76ers Holdout After CBA Rules

The NBA has granted Brooklyn Nets forward Ben Simmons a year of service for the 2021-22 season despite the three-time All-Star holding out of games to force a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers.

ESPN's Zach Lowe reported Simmons' service was a topic of discussion in NBA collective bargaining agreement talks. According to the report, "several" team officials pushed back on Simmons receiving a service time credit for the season.

However, Simmons was given a "standalone" credit for the season, and the situation is "not intended to set precedent for future cases." Simmons cited mental health reasons for refusing to play for the Sixers and continued to sit out after a trade to Brooklyn due to knee and back injuries.

Philadelphia initially withheld around $20 million of Simmons' salary amid his refusal to report to the team. Simmons later filed a grievance to recoup the salary, and the two sides reached a settlement in August 2022. Terms of that deal have not been made available.

It's unclear why Simmons was given what amounts to an exception to a pre-existing NBA rule. As Lowe notes later in his report, James Harden would not accrue a year of service time and could be barred from free agency if the decides to hold out from the Sixers this season.

Harden has requested a trade from Philadelphia after talks between the two sides regarding a long-term contract failed.

Simmons now has seven years of official NBA service time, which matters when determining his future earnings via the league's pension plan and other avenues. Under terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, players receive $1,001.47 per month for every year of NBA service.

While it will not matter for Simmons, who has seen his star level take a nosedive over the last two seasons, he will potentially be eligible for a 10-year maximum contract (35 percent of the salary cap) one year earlier than if the NBA did not grant him a year of service time.