Ben Simmons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nets Notes: Simmons, Nash, Minutes, Irving

September 29th, 2022 at 7:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Nets head coach Steve Nash appreciates returning star Ben Simmons for what he can contribute and says he doesn’t mind if the 6’10” forward never develops a jumper, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.

“Very unique. That’s what makes Ben great. That’s why I don’t care if he ever shoots a jump shot for the Brooklyn Nets,” Nash said. “He’s welcome to, but that is not what makes him special and not what we need. He’s a great complement to our team, and he’s an incredible basketball player because of his versatility.”

Nash is especially excited to see how Simmons meshes with Nets stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving this season, as Friedell relays.

“I think they’ll have a certain element of cohesion out of the gates,” Nash said. “Because they’re all really good basketball players, but hopefully it’s something that evolves. And they can continue to find ways to make each other better. I think that’s the beauty, that they actually fit really well together, but it may take time.”

There’s more out of Brooklyn:

Friedell tweets that neither Simmons nor Nash anticipate limiting the 26-year-old’s minutes to begin the 2022/23 NBA season, despite the fact that he’s coming off back surgery in the spring. Friedell notes that Nash has been happy with Simmons’ output in practice.
Irving has high expectations for the ceiling of his talented new teammate, Friedell writes in another ESPN story. “That level of talent, and IQ and motivation and drive — anything’s possible,” Irving said of Simmons. “He has that ‘it’ inside of him so now we just have to slowly develop him where he knows that he can just go out there and be himself. We want him to be his highest potential of himself As a player, be able to accomplish things out on the floor that he wasn’t able to do the last few years. And just have some fun being at peace around him.” Irving himself missed most of the 2021/22 season due to his reticence to get vaccinated against COVID-19 amid vaccine mandate policies for New York City employees. With those policies now relaxed, Irving and Simmons should both see plenty of run in Brooklyn.

Nets Notes: Durant, Nash, Irving, Curry, Warren, Simmons

September 26th, 2022 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Addressing reporters at the Nets‘ media day on Monday, Kevin Durant explained that he requested a trade this offseason because he had some “doubts” about whether the Nets were building a legitimate championship culture (Twitter link via Tania Ganguli of The New York Times).

“I wanted everybody to be held accountable for their habits as a basketball player,” Durant said, per Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. “I think a lot of stuff was getting swept under the rug because we’re injured or this guy’s not around or just the circumstances. I thought we could have fought through that a little bit more and focused on the guys that were here a little bit more.

“When I went out with the injury, we lost 10 in a row. And I’m like, ‘We shouldn’t be losing some of these games that we lost, regardless of who’s on the floor.’ So I was more so worried about how we’re approaching every day as a basketball team. And I felt like we could have fought through a lot of the stuff that I felt that held us back.”

Durant said he wasn’t disappointed not to be dealt and that he’s committed to the Nets going forward (Twitter links via Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic and Adam Zagoria of NJ.com). He also admitted that he wasn’t surprised to remain a Net, since general manager Sean Marks and the team’s front office set a sky-high asking price.

“I know I’m that good, that you’re just not going to give me away,” Durant said.

In his own media session, Marks said that he feels good about where things stand with Durant, adding that if the star forward “still wanted out, he wouldn’t be here” (Twitter link via Vorkunov). He also said the Nets made a legitimate effort to trade Durant, though he admitted he was fielding outside inquiries more than he was instigating discussions.

“Yeah, absolutely we made those calls and we at least picked up the phone when teams called us,” Marks told YES Network (Twitter link via Zagoria). “I gotta be honest, I wasn’t making a whole lot of outgoing calls, I mean why would you do that?”

Here’s more on the Nets:

Steve Nash downplayed the fact that Durant reportedly called for the head coach’s job as part of his ultimatum to the Nets, likening it to a family squabble and telling reporters that he and KD got together to talk it out (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post).
Kyrie Irving, who referred to Brooklyn’s summer as a “clusterf–k,” said he came close to leaving the Nets before picking up his player option, adding that he had some other options, but “not many,” Sanchez writes for The Post. Irving admitted that potential suitors had concerns about his availability and his commitment.
Interestingly, Irving stated that his decision to remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 cost him a lucrative long-term extension offer from the Nets during the 2021 offseason. “I gave up four years, $100-something million deciding to be unvaccinated, and that was the decision,” Irving said, per Sanchez.
A pair of Nets wings are still awaiting full clearance following injuries, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN (Twitter links). Seth Curry, who underwent ankle surgery in May, said today that he’s at “85-90 percent” and isn’t fully cleared to participate in camp. Meanwhile, T.J. Warren said the foot injury that cost him all of the 2021/22 season is fully healed, but he still needs to do more rehab work to get cleared by team doctors.
Ben Simmons is “ready to go” and will be a full participant in training camp, he said today (Twitter link via Friedell). As long as he remains healthy through the preseason, the plan is for the former No. 1 overall pick to be on the floor when the Nets’ season begins, tweets Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Simmons also said he’s willing to play center for his new team (Twitter link via Zagoria).

Ben Simmons Felt Lack Of Support From Sixers

September 23rd, 2022 at 10:17am CST by Arthur Hill

Ben Simmons talked candidly about his experiences with the Sixers during an appearance on JJ Redick’s podcast that was released on Thursday. Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer shares some of the highlights of the interview, including what Simmons believes was a lack of understanding from the organization about his mental state.

“I was in such a bad place where I was like, [expletive], I’m trying to get here and you guys are, like, throwing all these other things at me to where you’re not helping,” he said. “And that’s all I wanted was help. I didn’t feel like I got it from coaches, teammates — I won’t say all teammates, because there’s great guys on that team that did reach out and are still my friends — but I didn’t feel like I got that, and it was just a tough place for me.”

The podcast marks Simmons’ first public statements since asking the Sixers for a trade last summer, other than his press conference after being dealt to the Nets in February. Physical and psychological issues prevented Simmons from playing for Philadelphia again, and persistent back pain kept him from taking the court for Brooklyn after the trade.

Simmons announced a holdout before the start of last year’s training camp, but he eventually returned to the team for two practices. His relationship with the Sixers soured even further after coach Doc Rivers kicked him out of the second practice, but Simmons insists he was “trying to do the right thing” and wasn’t mentally prepared to play.

“I actually spoke to Doc before [the practice I was kicked out],” Simmons said. “I was like, ‘Doc, I’m not ready. Mentally, I’m not ready. Please, just understand that.’ I tried to let him know prior, and he was like, ‘Well, I’m going to put you in, anyway.’ I’m like, ‘All right.’ He told me to get in. I looked at him. It was like one minute into practice, like, ‘Ben, get in.’

Simmons also addressed a few other controversies, including his decision to pass rather than dunk on a critical play in his last game in Philadelphia vs. Atlanta (he admits it was a mistake, but explains what he was seeing in the moment) and media reports that he had a cell phone in his pocket during his only full practice last fall (he says it was a rolled-up jersey).

He talked about the fines the Sixers levied against him in the wake of his holdout, saying his mental condition was more important than financial concerns, and said the team didn’t do enough to reach out to him before making plans to fly a contingent to Los Angeles in an effort to resolve the dispute.

Simmons also expressed optimism about a fresh start with the Nets, saying New York City is an ideal spot to wind up after all the turmoil in Philadelphia.

“I literally did not care about who was getting traded for who,” Simmons said. “In that moment, I actually broke down. I had to have a moment by myself, because I was sitting in the office. I had family around and time was going down, and then it happened. It was just a shock, because I spent six years in Philly. I have friends there. Now you’re telling me I’m going to New York. My family’s there, too. It was very emotional for me all at once. I had to just sit down and gather myself.”

Atlantic Notes: Aldridge, Holden, Burrell, Simmons, Tucker

September 16th, 2022 at 8:41am CST by Dana Gauruder

Free agent big man LaMarcus Aldridge appears more likely to retire than to sign another contract, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix and Howard Beck said in the latest episode of The Crossover NBA Show (hat tip to NetsDaily).

Aldridge was productive in 47 games with the Nets last season, averaging 12.9 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 22.3 MPG. Aldridge went in retirement the previous season due to a heart condition but was cleared to play again by the league last fall.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, have named J.R. Holden as GM and Ronnie Burrell as head coach, according to a team press release. Holden spent the past three seasons as director of pro personnel for the Brooklyn Nets. Burrell rejoins the Nets organization after spending the 2019/20 season as an assistant coach with Long Island. Burrell was as an assistant coach with the College Park Skyhawks, the Atlanta Hawks’ affiliate, last season.
Ben Simmons could turn into the Nets’ version of Draymond Green, Ajayi Browne of NetsDaily.com notes. Putting Simmons at the center position could provide the most spacing possible for the Nets offensively due to his play-making skills. He’s also a defensive ace, finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year votes during the 2020/21 season.
After losing the conference semifinals to the Heat last season, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey felt P.J. Tucker would be a great fit if he could sign the veteran forward in free agency, Morey said in a podcast with Philadelphia TV sportscaster John Clark (hat tip to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson). “Just finished playing a series [against] P.J. Tucker. P.J. was able to really impact that series in a lot of ways with his toughness, with his high-level defense, with his energy on the floor, with his offensive rebounding,” Morey said. “And (Joel Embiid) correctly said, ‘Hey, we could use a guy like that.’”

Atlantic Notes: Simmons, Nets, Sixers

September 11th, 2022 at 3:13pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After missing the entire 2021/22 season due to a trade demand holdout and a subsequent major back injury, pricey Nets star Ben Simmons has become the centerpiece of fan expectations heading into ’22/23, writes Net Income of NetsDaily.

Beyond some official workout imagery from Brooklyn’s social media team and appearances at Summer League in Las Vegas and supporting WNBA Barclays Center neighbors the New York Liberty, the 6’11” Simmons has been relatively quiet this offseason. On October 3, fans will presumably get a chance to see Simmons play his first healthy game for his new team, facing off against his old team, the Sixers, in a preseason contest.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

After an intense offseason where it looked at times like Nets stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving would force their way out of town, Net Income of NetsDaily wonders if the team’s drama-filled summer will spill into training camp or the rapidly-approaching 2022/23 regular season. Net Income notes that “it appears” neither star has practiced with teammates at HSS Training Center during the offseason.
After a productive summer, the Sixers are hoping to advance beyond the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since 2001, writes Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype in a 2022/23 season preview. Gozlan notes that the team took pains to shore up its depths. Highlights of Philadelphia’s offseason include adding two former Rockets-era teammates of All-Star point guard James Harden in veteran power forward P.J. Tucker and small forward Danuel House, trading for reserve guard De’Anthony Melton, and signing 2020 Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell and reigning G League MVP Trevelin Queen. Gozlan writes that the club could have the depth to capture the conference’s top seed this season, and that ascendant shooting guard Tyrese Maxey could emerge as an All-Star during his third NBA season. Everything of course revolves around the continued success 2022 MVP runner-up Joel Embiid, one of the best centers in the league. Gozlan notes that pick-and-rolls between Embiid and Harden could help the club help power the team’s offense.
In case you missed it, Rory Maher of Hoops Rumors wondered on Friday in a Community Shootaround whether the Knicks would be able to make the play-in tournament in 2023. Let us know what you think!

Eastern Notes: Simmons, Nets’ Rotation, Heat, Trade Deadline

September 4th, 2022 at 7:16pm CST by JD Shaw

With former All-Star guard Ben Simmons expected to return this season, John Schuhmann of NBA.com examines how he may fit with the Nets. Brooklyn acquired Simmons in a deal with the Sixers featuring James Harden last season, but he didn’t play due to mental health concerns, both mental and physical.

The Nets will likely consider starting Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, Kevin Durant and Nicolas Claxton. That places the 6’11” Simmons at power forward, playing between Durant and Claxton. His defensive versatility and passing could allow him to play a role similar to the one Draymond Green plays in Golden State, especially given that he’ll have some of the league’s best shooters (Irving, Curry, Durant, Joe Harris and Patty Mills) around him.

Green, however, can spread the floor. He’s not a great three-point shooter, but opposing defenses have respected him enough. On the other hand, Simmons has made just five three-pointers in his career. It’ll be important for Brooklyn to play in transition this season. The team will likely feature Simmons in the dunker’s spot and play him on the ball, though it’s also possible he plays some minutes at center.

Here are some other notes from the East:

Brian Lewis of the New York Post projects the Nets‘ rotation. As mentioned previously, Brooklyn has flexibility and could play Simmons at the four or five. The team also has weapons such as Mills, Harris, Royce O’Neale and T.J. Warren.
Heat legend Tim Hardaway defended Kyle Lowry over allegations that he weighed too much this season, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes. Lowry still managed to have a respectable season, though he dealt with an injury throughout the playoffs that limited his availability and effectiveness.
In his latest “Ask Ira” mailbag, Ira Winderman examines whether the Heat may be active ahead of the trade deadline this year. Heat president Pat Riley is known for being open to making major changes, but Miami decided to stand pat this offseason (except for losing P.J. Tucker to Philadelphia). Since Miami has multiple undersized options at power forward, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team make a trade — even though it has plenty of talent.

Ben Simmons Cleared For Three-On-Three Activities

August 22nd, 2022 at 5:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ben Simmons has been cleared for three-on-three basketball activities, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.

While there’s plenty of uncertainty about whether Kevin Durant will ever suit up for the Nets, Simmons appears on track to finally make his Brooklyn debut this fall. Simmons hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2021 playoffs.

Simmons underwent back surgery in early May. At the time, the Nets released a statement that indicated Simmons was “expected to make a full recovery prior to the start of next season’s training camp.”

It appears Simmons remains on that timetable. He’s on track to be cleared for full five-on-five activities in the coming weeks, Charania adds, with the expectation he’ll be ready to go when camps open in late September.

Simmons underwent a microdiscectomy in order to relieve the pain from a herniated disc after consulting with “multiple back specialists.” He was diagnosed with a herniated L-4 disc in his lower spine and received an epidural to relieve soreness late last season but was unable to make enough progress to get back in action.

Simmons, who has also dealt with mental health issues, is under contract through ’24/25 and will make $112.7MM over the next three seasons.

Trade talks involving Durant have been complicated due to the contract Simmons received with Philadelphia. The designated rookie extension rule prevents teams from acquiring two players who have signed five-year rookie scale extensions.

Atlantic Notes: Russell, Celtics Roster, Durant, Nets

August 18th, 2022 at 7:23pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Celtics have revealed that they will wear Bill Russell-themed City Edition jerseys 12 times during the 2022/23 season to honor the life and legacy of the 11-time Boston champion, reports Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston (Twitter link), who recaps a Celtics press statement announcing the news. Two of those city jersey appearances will happen during a pair of Russell-themed home tribute contests, one against the Sixers in October and the other against the Grizzlies in February.

The Celtics’ press statement notes that Russell himself was consulted for the development of the tributary City Edition uniform in recent years, in collaboration with the team and the NBA. Russell, a 12-time All-Star and five-time NBA MVP, passed away last month at age 88.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Fresh off a 2022 Finals run, the Celtics are hoping a bolstered bench can help them win a title in 2023. Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe unpacks the team’s current roster. The club added point guard Malcolm Brogdon – who started while with his prior club, the Pacers – but clarified that 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart will remain the team’s starting point guard. Another new addition, veteran forward Danilo Gallinari, will also help strengthen the club’s second unit. Himmelsbach notes that head coach Ime Udoka will prioritize Boston’s health heading into the postseason and lean on the team’s improved depth, particularly given the age of starting center Al Horford and the injury history of starting center Robert Williams.
The Nets are reportedly holding out hope that All-Star forward Kevin Durant will reconsider his request to be traded away from Brooklyn, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst told Malika Andrews on NBA Today (YouTube video link). Windhorst revealed that, even as the Nets front office continues to parse through a variety of potential deals, the team is trying to suss out exactly what Durant would require for a return. He recently met with team owner Joe Tsai in London to demand that the team fire president of basketball operations Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash.
Though the Nets were allotted 26 national television appearances during the 2021/22 regular season, the NBA has opted to slash that tally in half heading into 2022/23, perhaps indicating that the league itself is dubious Kevin Durant will remain with the club long-term, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Lewis notes that, amidst the uncertainty surrounding the futures of stars Durant and Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn may not hold as much national appeal to audiences.
In some more positive news, Lewis notes that the Nets‘ third star, Ben Simmons, should be fully healthy in time for the team’s October 19 season opener against the Pelicans.

Sixers Reach Settlement Agreement With Ben Simmons

August 15th, 2022 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ben Simmons and the Sixers have reached a settlement agreement on the grievance the All-Star guard filed to recoup a portion of the nearly $20MM withheld him as a result of his failure to play last season, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

The Sixers maintained Simmons breached his contract upon failing to show up for the start of training camp and refusing to play in preseason and regular season prior to trade deadline swap with the Nets. Simmons cited mental health reasons for his limited participation in team activities. He also was diagnosed with a back injury that prevented him from playing with Brooklyn last season.

Both sides agreed to a confidentiality agreement on the exact financial settlement, Wojnarowski adds.

The Players Association backed Simmons in the grievance, which was shared with the Sixers, the league, and the NBPA in early April. The issue was to be arbitrated, which could have set a precedent on how future matters regarding mental health and contracts might be handled. Instead, the two sides reached an agreement before an arbiter could hand down a decision.

Simmons had a cap hit of just over $33MM last season.

During the season, Sixers officials claimed that team doctors were given limited access to Simmons to diagnose and confirm his mental health issues.

After Simmons was traded, his representatives had several conversations with the 76ers but those talks ended without a resolution.

Beginning last November 15, the Sixers withheld approximately $360K for each game Simmons missed (1/91.6th of his overall salary). Simmons received a $16.5MM advance on his salary during the offseason, thus there wasn’t enough money in each paycheck to cover the per-game deductions.

Along with the amount for escrow that was withheld by the NBA, the Sixers deducted nearly $1.3MM of Simmons’ salary from each pay check.

Nets Notes: Durant, Marks, Nash, Simmons, Curry

August 11th, 2022 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Durant‘s four-year contract extension with the Nets, which he signed last year, went into effect the day after he made his trade request and includes advance payment language that required the team to cut him a hefty pay check on July 1, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story.

As we noted earlier today in our list of this season’s highest-paid players, Durant is owed a $42,969,845 base salary in 2022/23. According to Stein, the star forward’s contract calls for him to receive 50% of that figure ($21,484,922) in a pair of installments on July 1 and October 1. That means that Durant received $10,742,461 from the Nets on the day after he asked the team to trade him.

As Stein observes, the fact that Durant is owed another $10.7MM+ on October 1 adds another layer of drama to the question of whether or not he’ll show up for training camp during the last week of September if he hasn’t been traded by then. If he doesn’t report, it’s possible the Nets would decide to withhold that payment.

Here’s more out of Brooklyn:

Elsewhere in his Substack story, Stein says there’s a growing belief among rival teams that Durant knew Nets owner Joe Tsai wouldn’t actually fire GM Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash when KD made his ultimatum. One prevailing theory, according to Stein, is that Durant is trying to sow discord in an effort to make the Nets lower their asking price and trade him “out of exasperation.” If that’s the endgame, it doesn’t appear to being according to plan so far.
ESPN and ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy said during a Sirius XM Radio appearance that he believes the relationship between Durant and the Nets (including Marks and Nash) can still be salvaged.
“I think it would be an awkward couple of days and then you win three in a row because I think if (Ben) Simmons comes back, (Joe) Harris comes back, (Kyrie) Irving is in a right space and is able to play and Durant comes back, they’ve got a really good team,” Van Gundy said, per Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. “And so winning helps camouflage any bad feelings and so I don’t think it will be as bad for as long as people might suspect on the outside.”
Simmons and Seth Curry are both eligible for contract extensions with the Nets, but Alex Schiffer of The Athletic doesn’t expect Brooklyn to lock up either player until the team has more clarity on its future. Even if the Nets get resolution on Durant and Irving, it seems unlikely they’d pursue an extension with Simmons, who has yet to play a game for the club and still has two years left on his current contract, but Curry – a free agent in 2023 – would be a logical candidate for a new deal.