The NBA is in a tough spot in terms of revenue as the global coronavirus pandemic forced the league to shut down and suspend operations on March 11. That has caused the league to lose a lot of money and it will affect just about everybody.
Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons signed a 5-year $167 million max extension in the summer of 2019 that will take up 25% of the cap space that Philadelphia has. With the salary cap expected to decrease due to the league expecting to lose $1 billion in revenue, Simmons’ contract is expected to decrease in value, and therefore, he loses out on money.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks explains this as the best likely outcome for Simmons:
With the league projected to lose at least $1 billion in revenue, Simmons’ $167 million extension should decrease in total value with a lower cap. He’s also a long shot for All-NBA honors given the deep field of guards, so he’s likely to end up with 25% of wherever the 2020-21 salary cap falls, barring any major CBA changes.
The league is making a push to resume the 2019-20 season, and all signs are pointing to a safe resumption, but there is no doubt that there will be a lot of money ramifications from this. Simmons will still make 25% of the salary cap for 2020-21, but due to the lack of games, his contract number won’t be as high as originally expected. [lawrence-related id=32300,32292,32285]