Simmons, Luwawu-Cabarrot sign contracts with Sixers

The players arrived in town Saturday night and signed their contracts. Simmons later tweeted a photo of himself signing his contract, meaning he should be available to participate in summer-league games.

"Happy to say I'm a part of the family #Sixers," Simmons wrote in his tweet.

Luwawu-Cabarrot posted a photo of his signing on Instagram Sunday morning.  The  French native wrote, "Officially a Sixers and member of the family!!! #sixersnation #FrenchTouch"

The two are scheduled to partake in Sunday's practices at the the University of Utah's Hunstman Basketball Facility. Neither Simmons nor Luwawu-Cabarrot participated in Saturday's two practices there to open summer-league minicamp. The Sixers will face the Boston Celtics at 7 p.m. Monday in a Utah Jazz Summer League opener at Vivint Smart Home Arena.

Earlier, Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo would say only that "both players are subject to contract details being worked out."

So for at least one day, the team practiced without its two headliners.

"There's a lot of moving parts to it," Sixers assistant coach Billy Lange said earlier Saturday. "We all want to coach them to see how they play."

Friday was the first day that Simmons was eligible to sign his contract. The Sixers had said the holdup was certain "language" in the deal.

Simmons is slotted to make $4.919 million as the first pick. As is standard practice, the contract will be for 120 percent of the amount prescribed by the rookie scale. So as soon as Simmons signs, he will get about an extra $983,000. Teams have the right to give a player from 80 percent to 120 percent of the rookie-scale amount.

Squads can put in extra conditions - such as required public appearances, two years of summer-league play, or attending a big man's camp - to earn the 120 percent. But it's rare that a player doesn't get the 120 percent. It's also unheard of for a No. 1 pick not to get it.

Luwawu-Cabarrot, who was taken at No. 24, had to get FIBA clearance and be bought out of his contract with the Serbian club Mega Leks before he plays. That was all taken care this past week.

One has to wonder whether Arron Afflalo's two-year, $25 million deal with the Sacramento Kings will affect Dion Waiters. The Oklahoma City Thunder restricted free agent, who is in talks with the Sixers, had been scheduled to fly to Sacramento on Sunday. Now, word out of Oklahoma City is that the Thunder plan to match any offer Waiters receives from another team.

The same thing is being said about restricted free agents Harrison Barnes (Golden State Warriors) and Allen Crabbe (Portland Trail Blazers). That could scare teams like the Sixers from offering lucrative, four-year deals to restricted free agents. It reportedly didn't stop the Mavericks from offering a four-year, $95 million contract to Barnes.

Those contracts can't be signed until Thursday, and those players' current teams have three days to match. With cap money tied up, the pursuing teams could miss out on other available free agents while waiting.