Most already assumed that the Brooklyn Nets acquisition of guard Ben Simmons was one of the worst trade returns in league history. But this week brought another chapter that elevated the deal to a place that improved its case as the worst of all time.
It seems like it wasn’t that long ago when Ben Simmons was considered one of the best young guards in the entire league. In the 2020-21 season, he earned a third straight trip to the All-Star game and was viewed as a player who could post a triple-double on any given night due to his versatility on the court.
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However, after a disappointing performance in that year’s playoffs, things went downhill — and fast — for the Australia native. After getting into a spat with the Philadelphia 76ers over how they chose to defend his play in the 2021 playoffs Simmons sat out for all of the following season claiming back and mental distress as the cause.
- Ben Simmons season stats (2023-24): 15 games, 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.8 steals, 14% 3 PT
Even when he was traded out of Philly and to the Brooklyn Nets at that year’s trade deadline, he didn’t suit up for his new team. Since then, things have only gotten worse. In his two seasons with the New York squad, he has only played in 57 games due to various injuries and ailments — mostly his dodgy back — and now he is done for the rest of the 2023-24 season.
Ben Simmons injury saga gets a new chapter with another back surgery
On Thursday, Hoops Hype reported that Ben Simmons will undergo another surgery on his back this week which will bring his season to a close in March. The 27-year-old had a successful microscopic partial discectomy procedure to alleviate nerve impingement in his lower back. He is expected to be ready for next season. However, the Nets have heard that before when it comes to injuries and Simmons.
Along with barely playing during his two-year tenure in Brooklyn, Simmons has played nowhere near the All-Star levels he had reached with the 76ers. For the most part, he is a liability due to his defense no longer being elite and his scoring ability being severely diminished.
- Ben Simmons contract: 5 years, $177 million ($35 million 2022-23, $37 million (2023-24), $40 million (2024-25)
Then add to the fact that he made just over $37 million this season and will get a career-high $40 million next season makes him completely untradable until next year’s trade deadline when he might be worth taking as teams looking to cut costs with buyouts.
The Brooklyn Nets also gave up James Harden in the deal. A player who has been a part of contending teams in Philadelphia and now in Los Angeles with the Clippers. There have been some epically bad NBA trades but the Nets acquisition of Ben Simmons is the worst ever and now overshadows the failure that was their 2013 blockbuster deal for Hall-of-Famers Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.
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