Ben Simmons Expected To Return If Season Resumes

Sixers guard Ben Simmons is expected to be ready to go if and when the 2019/20 season resumes, sources tell ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan.

When the NBA suspended its season last month, Simmons had been sidelined indefinitely due to a a nerve impingement in his back. On March 11, hours before word of Rudy Gobert‘s positive coronavirus test broke, the 76ers had announced that Simmons would be re-evaluated in three weeks. Now, nearly six weeks later, the team sounds pleased with the progress the former No. 1 pick has made in his recovery.

“If the season resumes,” a Sixers source told ESPN, “we’re expecting to have him.”

As MacMullan details, Philadelphia’s plan all along was to bring Simmons back for a handful of games at the end of the regular season so that he’d be ready to go for the playoffs. That plan was disrupted by the NBA’s stoppage, particularly since Simmons was required to self-quarantine for 14 days last month. However, he has been permitted to visit the club’s training facility for treatment since then, and has ramped up his rehab in recent weeks, per MacMullan.

“He’s feeling strong,” a member of Simmons’ camp told ESPN. “The original restrictions were very limiting, but all of them have been removed. He would probably need another scan, so the doctors could officially clear him, but there’s been no setbacks. He’s dying to get out there.”

Although the NBA’s hiatus could put Simmons in a better position to contribute to a Sixers postseason run, it may also adversely affect his future earnings. The All-Star guard, who signed a five-year extension last offseason, is set to receive a raise to the maximum salary beginning next season. But the exact value of the deal will depend on where the salary cap lands, and lost revenue from the stoppage will limit the league’s ability to substantially increase its cap.