Another bad diagnosis for Ben Simmons, another setback for Nets
Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons looks on from the bench against the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center on Saturday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The latest Ben Simmons injury news came not as a shock but as a reminder that his body remains on shaky ground.
For the third time in less than two years, Simmons was diagnosed with a nerve impingement in his back. It’s the second time this season he’s dealt with one in his left lower back. The injury caused him to miss his fourth consecutive game Monday.
He remains day-to-day, interim coach Kevin Ollie said before the Nets lost to the Grizzlies, 106-102, on Monday night at Barclays Center. The diagnosis means the team is closer to identifying the source of the leg soreness Simmons dealt with the previous two games.
“He’s still on the court and hopefully we can get him back soon and get him ready for this playoff push that we have in March and April,” Ollie said.
Simmons has played only 57 games since the Nets traded for him in February 2022. Though he’s been an asset when healthy, his injuries make it tough for the Nets’ rebuild to move forward.
The Nets envisioned a team built around Simmons’ strengths and Mikal Bridges blossoming into a star. That first premise has fizzled; Simmons has played only 15 games.
He has played hard when healthy and has been a great rebounder (7.9 per game), facilitator (5.7 assists) and igniter of transition points. It showed in the boxscore as he had a positive plus/minus rating in seven of his 15 games.
“I’m going to give this team everything I got, regardless of how I feel,” Simmons said on Feb. 26, a game he missed because of injury maintenance.
Simmons’ contract, which expires in 2025, makes it hard for the Nets to work around him. He’s owed $40.3 million next season, and because the Nets have 11 players under contract for 2024-25, they’re limited as to whom they can sign this offseason. Simmons’ health makes the contract almost untradeable.
The Nets also are likely to re-sign Nic Claxton, who will be a free agent. Claxton could command a salary of at least $20 million, meaning the team would have four players making above that figure with Claxton, Simmons, Bridges and Cam Johnson.
With the Nets looking to stay under the luxury tax for a second straight year, that makes it hard for them to do more than target veterans on minimum deals to fill out the roster unless the front office can make a suitable trade.
This season could foreshadow what next season looks like. The Nets might not make the play-in tournament this year, and with a similar roster next season, no one should expect them to climb much higher on the ladder in the Eastern Conference.
It’s not Simmons’ fault that his body has failed him, but the team’s gamble on him hasn’t paid off. Even if Simmons can return, his contract and health issues are part of why the Nets’ rebuild has stalled.
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
