Based on the reporting I've read, I don't think it materially improves the grievance. His inability to play, as I understand it, is the result of a back injury. That injury occurred/was aggravated while he was ramping up to return to live play.This probably helps with his grievance with Philly, too. If he had started playing in Brooklyn after sitting out all year in Philly, it would have been easier for them to make the case that he was simply refusing to play. We're now essentially two months removed from the trade and he's barely practicing, let alone seeing game action.
The timeline is something like this:
Sept: Trade Demand - Refusal to Report to Training Camp
10/1: Philly withholds 8.5M salary installment
Mid October Simmons returns to team, attends practice,
10/19 Simmons gets tossed out of practice by Doc etc; suspended one game.
10/22 Simmons says he is not ready to play due to mental health issues; Philly stops fining him
Late October/Early November: Philly resumes fining Simmons based on his (alleged) failure to comply with CBA requirements regarding absences due to mental health. <<<<< This is what the fight in the arbitration will be about>>>>>>
11/2021-2/2021 Simmons remains away from team.
February 10 - Simmons traded to Nets.
February 14 - Simmons reports to Nets participates in team activities.
February 15 - Simmons says the following about his mental health issues:
“The mental health has nothing to do with just the trade,” Simmons said. “It was a bunch of things that I was dealing with as a person, in my personal life, that I don’t really want to go in depth with.
“It wasn’t about the fans or coaches or comments made by anybody. It was just a personal thing for me that was earlier than that series or even that season that I was dealing with. That organization knew that. It was something that I continue to deal with, and I’m getting there and getting to the right place to get back on the floor.
“It was just piled up. A bunch of things that have gone over the years to where I just knew I wasn’t myself and I needed to get back into that place of being myself and being happy as a person and taking care of my wellbeing. That was the major thing for me. It wasn’t about the money, anything like that. I want to be who I am and get back to playing basketball at that level and be myself.”
March 16 - Woj reports Simmons aggravated his back ramping up his training AFTER he was traded to Nets.
March 18 - previously announced target date for Simmons to start playing with Nets.
March 21 - Shams reports Simmons has a herniated disc and got an epidural the week before.