Ben Simmons triggers Nets fans after sharing 9 photos

The fan reactions on Instagram ranged from excited for Ben Simmons to play well to skepticism that he would even suit up again.

For instance, the first commenter simply said, “I’m not falling for this s**t again.”

Meanwhile, another commenter below prayed for Simmons’ health.

“May God cover you and keep you healthy this season. We know you a beast when you’re actually able to play. Rooting for you,” the person said.

However, another person echoed the sentiments of the first comment.

“Bro lives for media day and only media day,” he said.

Another person also poked fun at Simmons’ lack of availability in the last few seasons.

“You gone kill it in the 3 games you play this season!” he said.

Finally, another commenter referred to the training videos Simmons releases every offseason showing him doing shooting drills in an empty gym, but actually do not translate to any meaningful regular season minutes.

“We are definitely ‘not’ locked in Ben,” the user said. “Those training videos come every year and then oooooohm management.”

Next season is the Australian forward’s last of the five-year, $177-million deal Simmons signed with the Philadelphia 76ers before they traded him to the Nets for James Harden. Likewise, he will earn $40.3 million for the 2024-2025 season.

What’s next?

As an expiring contract, Simmons might command some interest in the trade market, especially as the new CBA incentivizes teams to free up as much cap space as they can to sign marquee players. However, few contenders might actually pull the trigger due to Simmons’ nagging injuries and his resulting availability issues.

As of the moment, Simmons might stay with Brooklyn, and he will need to stay healthy, first, and then restore his play to his former All-Star level if he wants another big-money contract.

Along the way, he might even fix the fans’ perceptions of him, with some of whom even claiming that Ben Simmons was robbing the Nets. Can he play more than 25 games next season and revitalize his career? Or will he spend most of next season on the bench yet again and fully become a vet-minimum guy?