Ben Simmons reportedly dealing with new back issue

It feels like Ben Simmons has not played in an NBA game since M*A*S*H* was still on the air. But a report this week is revealing when Simmons could finally make his long-awaited return.

Shams Charania of The Athletic appeared Monday on SiriusXM’s “The Pat McAfee Show” and spoke on Simmons’ timetable for returning to the floor for the Brooklyn Nets. The former No. 1 overall pick is now reportedly dealing with a new issue in his back.

“There was an expectation that by now he was going to be really on the cusp of his comeback,” said Charania of Simmons. “That’s probably not gonna be the case because he had a flare-up with his back, I’m told, during his ramp-up process. So now, he’s gonna need to strengthen that back area before he can make his return to the floor.

“[But] there is hope and optimism that at some point before the regular season’s out, he’s gonna be back on the floor,” Charania added.

There is roughly a month-and-a-half left in the NBA regular season. If all goes well with Simmons’ back, it sounds like he could be back on the floor for the Nets at some point in late March or early April.

Granted, it has already been over eight months since Simmons last played. With the possibility of being out of commission for another month or so on top of that, the theory that Simmons is ducking one particular opponent on the schedule could gain even more steam.