Getty Ben Simmons (L) and Royce O'Neale of the Brooklyn Nets attend a game between the Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2022 NBA Summer League
When the Brooklyn Nets completed a blockbuster trade to satisfy All-Star guard James Harden’s surprise mid-season trade request, Ben Simmons was the centerpiece of their return, along with Andre Drummond and Seth Curry. Simmons’ highly-anticipated Nets debut was postponed after he suffered a back injury that held him out for the remainder of the 2022 season. He had a corrective offseason procedure, and the Nets expect him to be ready for the start of training camp.
All signs point to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving returning to the Nets next season, despite trade rumors surrounding both of their stars. And if the Nets are to bring back their core from last year, it will once again be a championship or bust season for the franchise.
If that is going to happen, they will need players who are ready to compete now, and the jury is still out on if Simmons fits that mold. But even if he doesn’t, ESPN’s Zach Lowe says that the Nets are ‘wary’ of sending him to another team because of his low trade value.
“Simmons hasn’t played in 13 months. He’s coming off back surgery. He quaked in the postseason — again. His trade value is at an all-time low. For their part, the Nets are wary of selling low on Simmons and cannot afford to view him as a mere throw-in,” Lowe writes per ESPN.
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Lewis: ‘Little Market’ for Ben Simmons Trade
Simmons has had a solid career thus far as a three-time All-Star, and former Defensive Player of the Year candidate. It’s the only justifiable reason for trading away a player of Harden’s caliber in the middle of a season they were expected to be title contenders.
But Simmons’ accolades are historic, in the sense that he has not played basketball since June of 2021, when his Sixers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Atlanta Hawks. Nobody knows his capabilities on the court currently, which has shrunk the market for a potential trade, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
“When asked if Simmons had gotten assurances he was in the Nets’ long-term plans and would not be traded, a source close to the young All-Star told The Post simply that “Ben is good,” Lewis writes.
“Of course, the Nets might not have much choice in the matter. Simmons didn’t play at all last season, citing first mental health and then back issues. While he did have surgery and is on schedule to be ready for training camp, according to a source, one league source said there was no chatter about the Nets actively shopping Simmons, while two said there was little market for him.”
Raptors Recently Inquired About Simmons
Of course, even with there being a small market for the All-Star forward, some teams have poked around to see just what the potential asking price would be for Simmons. One NBA executive said to Heavy’s Sean Deveney that the Raptors recently had an interest in Simmons. They also noted that Toronto can curate a trade package centered around Toronto’s $72 million starter OG Anunoby.
“Toronto had an interest in Simmons before, and a package could be built around OG Anunoby. The Raptors would not give up Scottie Barnes or (Fred) Van Vleet or (Pascal) Siakam, so it might be a nonstarter for Brooklyn,” the executive said to Deveney.
“But Anunoby, Khem Birch, and two young guys like (Malachi) Flynn and Precious Achiuwa, plus a couple of first-rounders, that might be the best the Nets can do for him.”
All signs point to the Nets All-Star trio of Kyrie, Durant, and Simmons finally making its debut this fall.
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Nets Urged to Come to Terms With Ben Simmons’ Grim Future