The Brooklyn Nets upended their roster at the trade deadline last season with their trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Luckily for the Nets, they were able to get off to such a strong start with those two to sneak into the playoffs after dealing both of them.
Brooklyn started last season 31-20 with both of those players in tow. But after the trades, the Nets went 14-17 and were promptly swept in the first round of the playoffs.
More of the same has followed them this season. The Nets began the year 12-9 through 21 games and had the ninth-best net rating in that stretch. But things have spiraled downhill since then.
Brooklyn is now 30-47, out of the play-in race, and has the ninth-worst net rating in the league. Without a first-round pick to improve their roster this offseason, the Nets may have to trade a veteran if they want to make any additions. That player might have to be Ben Simmons.
Ben Simmons, Forward
Remember when Ben Simmons made the All-NBA third team and two All-Defensive teams? All of that happened just four years ago. That wasn’t that long ago, yet it feels like decades since the world has seen Simmons play that level of basketball. That’s because he’s barely played any ball at all since. Of a possible 246 games over the last three seasons, Simmons has played in just 57 of them.
Most of that isn’t Simmons’ fault. The holdout after his trade request during his final days with the Philadelphia 76ers can be laid at his deck. But he’s also dealt with a nerve impingement in his back for years.
Not only has that taken away his ability to consistently be on the court, but also his effectiveness. He averaged at least 10 shots per game and four free throws per game in every season as a Sixer. As a Net, those per-game averages have dipped to 5.4 attempts and 1.2 free throws.
But in addition to his issues being available, Simmons’ fit with the Nets’ roster is clunky even when he’s healthy. If he starts, he typically does so alongside Brooklyn’s starting center Nic Claxton. When those two have played together, it’s been a disaster. The Nets have a -23.3 net rating when Simmons and Claxton share the floor together, according to Cleaning the Glass. Their offensive rating ranks in the zero percentile.
It is that bad because Simmons and Claxton are complete zeroes as shooters. Teams can completely ignore them and pack the paint to force contested jumpers. Claxton is Brooklyn’s best rim protector, so it’s hard to leave him on the bench. That leaves Simmons as an odd-man-out figure.
Nets next best move
So, Ben Simmons isn’t often available, and when he is, his lack of shooting is a detriment to certain lineups. Why exactly would anybody want to trade for him? Well, it’s hard to make a compelling case for that outside of his contract status. Simmons is about to enter the final year of his rookie max extension he signed back in 2020.
It’s a bit sad that Simmons went from an All-NBA player to vessel for a salary dump in the span of four years. Injuries have really taken a toll on his game. Hopefully, he can return to better form soon. But in the meantime, Brooklyn has an opportunity to turn his gigantic salary into an asset they can use going forward. If they can cash in on that chance, they should.
More must-reads: