Simmons, 76ers agree to $170 million, 5-year deal

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers and All-Star guard Ben Simmons have agreed to a $170 million, five-year contract extension.

Simmons was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2016. He made his NBA debut in the 2017-18 season and was the Rookie of the Year. He was an All-Star for the first time last season. He has averaged 16.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.9 assists in his two seasons.

Philadelphia is 101-58 in regular-season games when Simmons plays. He has had 22 triple-doubles in the past two seasons, tied for third most in the league with Denver’s Nikola Jokic and trailing Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook (59) and the Los Angeles Lakers‘ LeBron James (26).

Simmons also has had 80 double-doubles over the past two seasons.

“Ben Simmons is an important piece of our core and he is one of the NBA’s most dynamic and talented young players,” Sixers general manager Elton Brand said.

“It was a priority for our organization that we finalize a contract extension with Ben this summer. He was Rookie of the Year in his first season, an All-Star in his second and we expect him to continue grow and succeed for seasons to come. Ben positively impacts the game in so many ways and we look forward to continuing our championship pursuits with him as one of our leaders.”