Ben Simmons isn't expected to follow Jimmy Butler out of Philadelphia.
According to ESPN, which cited unidentified league sources, the 76ers offered the All-Star guard a five-year maximum extension worth $170 million.
The report noted the Sixers and agent Rich Paul are expected to work through the details toward an eventual agreement.
Under new salary cap projections, Ben Simmons' maximum contract total has crept slightly higher: $170M. https://t.co/44s3FLz1rf
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2019
News of the deal comes after NBC Sports reported the Sixers offered Butler a five-year max contract worth $190 million before he turned it down to instead take a four-year deal worth $141 million from the Heat.
The report stated Butler simply "wanted to move on" from Philadelphia, suggesting that "perhaps the Sixers put the offer on the table with the understanding that Butler wouldn’t take it."
In other moves, the Sixers re-signed Tobias Harris to a five-year deal worth $180 million and added Al Horford on a four-year deal worth up to $109 million.
Simmons, 22, was drafted No. 1 overall in 2016 and earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2017-18. He averaged 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game last season as the Sixers reached the Eastern Conference semifinals before being eliminated by the eventual NBA champion Raptors.