Philadelphia 76ers: Does Ben Simmons’ extension make sense for Philly?

Ben Simmons officially inked his new deal with the Philadelphia 76ers but is he worth the big money extension?

Earlier this week Ben Simmons inked a new contract extension with the Philadelphia 76ers, signing a five year, $170 million deal according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

To start off, Ben Simmons is not worth his new deal. After an exceptional rookie season in which he earned NBA Rookie of The Year honors, Simmons did not make the necessary strides management envisioned heading into his second season.

Although he may not be worth this deal, it was a move that Sixers general manager Elton Brand had to make. Simmons is a generational talent, standing at 6-foot-10, and one of the best playmakers in the league and a force to be reckoned with in the open court. After averaged 16.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game, he earned his first all-star appearance this past season.

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He is one of three players in NBA history to score more than 1,000 points, snag 1,000 rebounds, and dish out 1,000 assists in his first two seasons, putting him in the same company as LeBron James and Oscar Robertson – an elite club to be a part of. Ben Simmons and Joel Embid have formed a formidable duo in Philly and are now favorites to win the Eastern Conference next season. So why isn’t he worth the money?

This team will never win a championship until Simmons develops some sort of jump shot. Not even necessarily a 3-point shot, just a jumper that will make him a threat outside of the paint, a 16-18 foot jump shot would vastly improve his value. For Simmons to be a great player in this league he doesn’t need a jumper, but without possessing an outside shot the Australian guard’s skill set will most likely plateau and the ascension of his game will remain the same.

Philly may not realize it but they have a small window to win a championship. That window being primarily 2-3 years with their starting lineup. After next season, when Ben Simmons contract is in full effect, Philly owes $580 million to four players such as Joel Embid, Al Horford, Tobias Harris, and Ben Simmons. Leaving little to no room for improvement, and if little success has been achieved by year three, then Elton Brand will have some calls to make to other organizations trying to get this right.

Nonetheless, this was a move the front office clearly had to make. It will be interesting to see if Ben Simmons winds up heading in the same trajectory as the Giannis Antetokounmpo after his max deal or if he ends up like Andrew Wiggins, a player that has failed to reach his potential during the years of his max contract.

Year three is going to be a huge one for Ben Simmons. Philadelphia put their trust in him by awarding him this lucrative contract. Now let’s see if their payment will pay off. Stay tuned.