Simmons scores $11 million payday

AUSSIE Ben Simmons has scored an $11.5 million payday with the 76ers, according to reports.

Philadelphia has made its decision to exercise it’s option to activate the fourth season of Simmons’ rookie contract — signed after he was selected with the No. 1 pick at the 2016 NBA Draft.

The Sixers’ decision, yet to be confirmed by the team, locks the 22-year-old in through to the end of the 2019-2020 season.

The decision also guarantees Simmons a significant pay rise and a reported salary for next season worth $11.48 million ($US8.1m).

It represents a pay rise of $US1.7 million on the $6.4 million he is earning this season.

The Inquirer reports, bizarrely, that 76ers teammate Markelle Fultz — the No. 1 pick at the 2017 NBA Draft — will earn more than Simmons next season under the options set to be announced this week.

Payday.Source:AFP

The report suggests Fultz’s third-year option is for $13.7 million.

The Sixers have also decided to activate the final year of its deal with forward Dario Saric, reportedly worth $4.9 million for the 2019-2020 season.

Per team source can confirm #Sixers have picked up the rookie-scale team options on the contracts of Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz, and Dario Saric

The Sixers are yet to decide if the team will activate the third year of 2016 draft product Furkan Korkmaz.

The club has until Thursday (AEDT) to pick up the option before Korkmaz will become a free agent.

It comes 12 months after the team chose not to activate the fourth year of Jahlil Okafor’s contract.

Simmons’ contract extensions keeps him on track to become Australia’s highest paid athlete.

According to the Australian Financial Review, Simmons last year earned $14.35 million — making him Australia’s second-highest paid athlete that year behind golfer Jason Day.

Ben Simmons is an earning-machine.Source:AP

The AFR last week, however, announced that Simmons failed to crack the annual young rich list and is not among the wealthiest 10 athletes in Australia — yet.

Simmons’s extension means he will be able to begin negotiating his first contract extension with the Sixers next year, despite any extension not coming into effect until the 2020-21 season.

The NBA’s 2015 draft class — who are in the same position Simmons will find himself in next year — have already seen No. 1 pick Karl Anthony Towns sign a supermax $US190 million, five-year deal with Minnesota, coming into effect at the start of the 2019-2020 season.

If Simmons is able to qualify for a supermax extension, the Melbourne product will have no problems cracking the 2020 Rich List.

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