Ben Simmons‘ agent tells The New York Post’s Brian Lewis that his client will be 100 percent by the start of next season, but there’s plenty of uncertainty regarding his future. The Nets guard played just 15 games last season before he was shut down due to lingering back issues.
“Ben has been doing his rehab and prep work for the upcoming season in Miami. He is through the rehab stage and has moved on to strength and conditioning,” Simmons’ agent, Bernard Lee, said. “Because there have been so many starts and stops previously I’ll simply say he’s in a great place and the expectation is he’s able to start the season 100 percent of himself ready to go.”
Where Simmons fits into the team’s plans next season is unclear. Given his health issues, his value to the club at this point is centered around his $40.3MM expiring deal, which will open up ample cap space next summer if he’s not traded.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- With the Nets trading Mikal Bridges and going into a rebuild, Noah Clowney could get an expanded role in his second season, Lewis notes. Clowley was selected with the 21st pick in 2023. “It’s an opportunity [for me] so I can’t [waste it],” Clowney said. “No shade to [Bridges]; that’s my dog. I love him; but to see us going into more of a rebuilding standpoint, that’s an amazing opportunity to me, and I gotta try to take advantage of that.” Just trying to build with what we’ve got is my main focus. The picks, I leave that to the people who decide all that; I just try to do my part, play hard and be enthusiastic about everything we’re doing. So, opportunities will be fun.”
- Bridges expressed his exhilaration over joining the Knicks, where expectations will be sky-high for their first championship since 1973, according to ESPN’s Chris Herring. “It’s surreal. Coming here, it makes me feel like a young kid again, with all the memories. When I think about basketball when I was young, and the old school, it was always the Knicks,” Bridges said during an introductory press conference. “That’s what you think about. MSG. The New York song. All that stuff.”
- The Raptors are betting big that they can build around Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, Michael Grange of Sportsnet writes. Both players were rewarded with five-year contracts this offseason. To back the front office’s commitment, Barnes needs to play well enough to be considered for an All-NBA team and Quickley needs to become an All-Star level guard, Grange says.
Bro people can talk all the smack they want on Simmons, but I feel for the guy. I’ve been dealing with sciatica from a nerve impingement for the past year and it’s pain every day. Can’t hoop, can barely exercise without pain. It sounds like he was dealing with this too and idk if he’ll be able to play again with this kind of injury.
Fair enough. Then dont expect nothing but minimum. Dont all of a sudden pretend like you can play now that you need a new contract.
Minimum contracts even should go to people that can play if/when needed. If it is a real injury problem that sucks, but he’s made so much $ that a lot of people would take back problems if they got rich for life along with them.
I don’t understand why fans get mad at players who make lots of money and then dont play. Its not their fault. These things happen.
For me. Its never a money care. In this particular case, it Is kinda like being told status updates 20 times with all saying the player is THIS CLOSE to playing along with reasons. And it’s never correct.
I see a pain specialist for years. I can relate to pain and injuries.
But why provide false updates? Just say you don’t know.
If it is intermittent pain. He feels good. Then doesn’t.
It still doesn’t matter.
Still just say, “look man, I don’t know when.”
Same if a team says they are going to spend big, but never do.
Same as the Rockies saying they expect to compete every year.
It aggravates people, when they spend time reading or hearing others, (investing time) but then feels that others are trying to blow smoke. Just stop.
I am talking of course of the agents and coaches here.
Pretty sure it’s up to the GM’s to offer whatever they wish.
Still no excuse for why he refuses to score the damn ball or practice his broken jumpshot.
He’s a fake. Only thing wrong with him is his ego. He showed up in Bklyn with this. Never told Sixers this. All of a sudden he has a bad back. Where did it happen. It’s all BS.
He’s soft as baby’s butt ….. done with him.
NBA should all blackball him… but then again Kyrie did a major transformation and made Mavs look good with his $120m contract. And Harden got his too…
You guys sure are passionately hating the player, not the game here…curious!!!
Not hating. It’s time to make a stand.
I don’t want him on my team for MINIMUM.
Wasted talent ……. a Bronx tale.
Simmons was having back problems well before he imploded during the 76ers meltdown against the Hawks in the 20/21 Eastern Conference semis.
link to nbadraft.net
Ariel Hukporti ——-
I really think Thibs can get him to help us. Even if it means in second half. His so called weaknesses. Are things Thibs can teach him. When Mitch was drafted he was worse but also just turned 19. At 22 yrs old I think Ariel wants to make it. And frankly we need him. Looking forward to this……. Thibs Magic lols.
link to youtu.be
I saw him play a bunch in the NBL. He’s got what it takes to be a solid NBA big.
Clowney is a nice talent. Nets should do him right. Needs coaching
I need to see the mixtape first.
I kinda hope Ben Simmons doesnt play this year due to injury but gets paid and therefore gets $200 million for playing 332 NBA games, that’s almost a million a game!
Who is the best team? Rank these 3 teams
Magic
Franz Wagner $224 million
Banchero
KCP
Raptors
Barnes 270 million
Quickley 175 million
RJ Barrett
Rockets
Sengun – no new contract
Jalen Green – no new contract
Smith
I’d like to know the value of new contracts
Sillivan is Sankara confirmed???
Right now? Magic by a lot…
The expectation is that he plays another 20 games, still can’t shoot and is a shell of his former self but I also wouldn’t be surprised that because he’s had so much time off and he now is in a contract year that all of a sudden he actually has a blinder.
The teams kinda built in a way that would suit him, you’ve got Dennis as a secondary ball handler that can create not only for himself but others, you’ve got Cam Thomas who is always ready to shoot, Cam Johnson who is a sniper and a decent defender then Nic Claxton who just plays defence.
It’s almost set up for Ben to take over as a pint forward, you’ve got the shooters around him and secondary ball handling ability, then defensively your asking him to do a lot but there’s also Claxton and Johnson.
Although it’s a lot more likelier he only plays 20 games I wouldn’t be surprised if he put up 20-8-8 or something silly just go get another bag hahaha
Simmons will not get a long contract but he may get a team option deal. I hope he does play well. To tell if he cares about basketball is if he shoots.
I’m on both ends with Simmons. On one hand, his attitude legitimately sucks. He’s so mentally weak that he refuses to even attempt to score half the time and he’s never been a team guy.
On the other hand, he does seem to legitimately have a terrible series of back problems. I deal with chronic pain regularly, and Simmons looks exactly like that. Half the time he looks physically fine but something is still off, half the time he looks like he aged fifty years from the way he moves. And with your back, it’s kind of a given that it’ll keep flaring up. Probably happened when he tried to condition to return after the Philly buyout and then just never got better.
tl;dr, Simmons has a crap attitude, but the back injury seems fully legitimate and the GMs need to just say “we don’t know how he’ll do” instead of constantly providing hand-wavey updates.