"A Declaration of War": Sixers WITHHOLDING Ben Simmons Oct. 1st Salary Payment

This was the date everyone was watching to see if the Ben Simmons Saga would be kicking into another gear. The date that the Philadelphia 76ers owed Ben Simmons the second of his salary installments—$8.25 million—as per his unique contract structure. And now it's being reported that the Sixers have indeed withheld that payment, as Simmons remains a training camp holdout.

Reporting with @WindhorstESPN and @BobbyMarks42: Sources confirm the 76ers have not paid Ben Simmons the $8.2 million he was owed today. The money has been put in an escrow account, & any fines accrued by him for not showing up will be deducted from that amount moving forward.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) October 1, 2021

Simmons is set to earn $33 million this season, but his contract states that it be paid in installments, the second of which was due today. The Sixers instead are putting it in escrow, according to reports, and deducting his fines for not reporting to camp and pre-season games. He would be paid the balance if and when he reports for work.

ESPN Insider Brian Windhorst said on The Jump on Friday that there's absolutely no going back now: "This is a declaration of war."

Simmons and his agency Klutch Sports were well aware of this potential ramification, and have said they're fine with foregoing salary in order to force their way out of Philadelphia. "We're in it for the long haul," a source close to Simmons told ESPN.

How far out of hand has this situation gotten? Even the TV weatherman in Philadelphia is punking on Simmons: