Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons’ agent Bernie Lee informs NBA insider Chris Haynes that the three-time All-Star has recuperated enough from his latest back injury to join his colleagues in time for the Oct. 1 start of training camp.
“Ben is fully cleared and is a full participant for the start of camp. He is excited to get started,” Lee says.
The 28-year-old, Brooklyn’s most expensive player, suited up for just 15 games (12 starts) last season. Across his two-and-a-half years with the Nets, the 6-foot-10 vet has appeared in just 57 games (45 starts), averaging 6.7 points on a brutal .570/.000/.431 slash line, 6.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks a night.
Ben Simmons #10 of the Brooklyn Nets brings the ball up court during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on February 26, 2024 in Memphis, Tennessee. Simmons is set to be healthy in time for the start of Nets training camp this year.
Justin Ford/Getty Images
Simmons chatter has been all the rage this week. His trainer, Chris Brickley, recently offered up a rave review of the 2019-20 All-NBA Teamer’s shooting progress this offseason. To be fair, videos of Simmons looking great in a workout has become something of a summer tradition, often yielding exactly squat in terms of developmental growth when the regular season kicks in.
Read more: Nets’ Ben Simmons ‘Better Now Than His All-Star Seasons,’ Trainer Claims
Brooklyn is in a rebuilding phase this year, after flipping its best player in 2023-24, All-Defensive Team swingman Mikal Bridges, to loathed neighbor franchise the New York Knicks, in exchange for several future draft picks.
The Nets finished with the Eastern Conference’s No. 11 seed and a 32-50 overall record. Brooklyn is looking to get much, much worse this year.
Next summer’s 2025 NBA Draft class is set to be loaded. The group is led by projected top three picks Duke forward Cooper Flagg, French point guard Nolan Traore, and Rutgers shooting guard Dylan Harper (son of five-time NBA champion Ron).
Read more: Knicks Acquire Star From Nets for Massive Haul of Draft Picks
Having Simmons take up $40.3 million of salary cap space this year and appear in 15-30 games is a great way to be terrible. He is on the last season of a brutal five-year, $177.2 million deal he initially inked while still on the Philadelphia 76ers.
Alternately, the Nets could try to move off Simmons’ money midseason, but that would likely mean taking back longer-term money. Depending on the haul of future draft equity being tendered, the juice in that case may be worth the squeeze.
Guided by first-year head coach Jordi Fernández Torres, this season’s Nets roster will still have plenty of intriguing young players worth watching, from ascendant young guard Cam Thomas to springy center Nic Claxton.
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