Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons has filed a grievance against his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers, seeking approximately $20 million the Sixers withheld from Simmons, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports.
The person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
The case will go to arbitration, according to the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and National Basketball Players Association.
The Sixers began withholding salary to Simmons shortly after he failed to show up for training camp and was unable to play in preseason and regular-season games for the team.
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Philadelphia claimed Simmons failed to honor his contract, and Simmons cited mental health for his inability to join the team on a full-time basis.
Simmons requested a trade in the 2021 offseason, following Philadelphia’s loss to Atlanta in the Eastern Conference semifinals. He had signed five-year, $170 million extension with the Sixers in 2019, a deal that kicked in starting with the 2020-21 season.
The Sixers did not find a deal for Simmons until just before the February trade deadline when they sent him to Brooklyn for James Harden.
Simmons is dealing with a herniated disc and has not played a game for the Nets since the trade. It is not clear if he will be available in the postseason.
ESPN first reported that Simmons filed a grievance.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ben Simmons grievance: Nets guard seeks to recoup $20M from 76ers