Nets: Ben Simmons Gets Shocking Benefit From Holdout Season With Sixers in New CBA

Ben Simmons - Brooklyn Nets v Portland Trail Blazers
(Photo : Steph Chambers/Getty Images) PORTLAND, OREGON - Ben Simmons (#10) of the Brooklyn Nets dunks during the third quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on November 17, 2022 in Portland, Oregon.

Brooklyn Nets point forward Ben Simmons will be credited for the 2021-22 NBA season that he missed due to a holdout and injury.

The league's new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), released last month before free agency, contained a side letter saying that Ben Simmons has received credit for a year of service during the 2021-22 NBA season, according to an article by Zach Lowe on ESPN

Simmons held out from the Philadelphia 76ers after a trade request during the 2021 offseason and was eventually dealt to the Brooklyn Nets in February 2022.

The three-time All-Star's situation is a standalone and is not intended to set a precedent for future cases. The 27-year-old will now have seven years of service under his belt in the 2023-24 season.

Several executives from other teams argued that Simmons should not be credited for the holdout year. 

Years of service are factors when determining if players are eligible for maximum contracts of particular sizes and several other benefits.

Read more: Sabrina Ionescu Puts Up Greatest Three-Point Contest Performance Ever

Nets GM believes Simmons' best days are ahead of him

Nets general manager Sean Marks thinks that Simmons has yet to hit his prime, and he hopes that the Australian will return to his All-Star level of play.

"I think knowing that he's mid-20s and he has still hopefully not reached his prime, we've gotta make sure he can get back out there and get back to that [All-Star] form," the 47-year-old executive said.

Marks added that health will be the key for Simmons to achieve this goal.

Related Article: 2023 WNBA All-Star Game Becomes Most-Watched In 16 Years  

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