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After three seasons of back trouble, Ben Simmons has provided a significant update on his health with the start of training camp looming.
Simmons’ agent Bernie Lee told NBA insider Chris Haynes that Simmons has been fully cleared to participate in training camp. Simmons will have no restrictions and has totally recovered from his back procedure.
Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons (recovered from a back procedure) will be a go to begin training camp on Oct. 1 with no restrictions, his agent Bernie Lee tells me: “Ben is fully cleared and is a full participant for the start of camp. He is excited to get started.” pic.twitter.com/FeAlR85j2L
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) September 20, 2024
The question at this point is whether Simmons can actually stay healthy. A 42-game stint for Brooklyn in 2022-23 is the most we have seen of him in three years. He has essentially become a punchline, both because of his frequent injuries and his ineffective play when he is healthy. Even though Simmons’ jump shot has looked solid in recent workouts, there is widespread skepticism that he can produce anything close to that in game action.
The Nets owe Simmons about $40 million this upcoming season. He is entering the final year of his contract, so he has a lot to prove with a lot of uncertainty in his future. A full training camp without any issues would be a helpful step in at least starting to try and re-establish himself.
More must-reads:
- Trainer claims Ben Simmons is 'better now' than during All-Star seasons
- Ben Simmons ‘unselfishness’ cause for downfall of $177 million player, says Gilbert Arenas
- The 'New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets to score 40 points in a game' quiz
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Warriors are testing Stephen Curry’s patience this offseason
The Golden State Warriors are the only team that haven’t signed a player this summer, and that silence is beginning to test Stephen Curry’s patience. Back in February, the Warriors went all-in for Jimmy Butler. The idea was clear: show Curry the franchise was still about contending. Butler immediately gave the team toughness, shot creation and leadership, helping Golden State win 23 of its final 31 games and surge back into the playoff picture. For a moment, it looked like the dynasty still had life. But its run ended in the second round against Minnesota, and it was obvious the roster needed more. The offseason was supposed to be about capitalizing on the Butler trade. Instead, the Warriors stood still. Curry addressed the lack of movement at his annual basketball camp. “We have a really good team,” he said. “We do know we need some pieces to help get us to the next level.” For someone who usually avoids commenting on roster construction, it was a subtle but clear message. At 37, he knows the margin for error is thin, and running back, essentially, the same team doesn’t make much sense. The only notable change since the season ended is Kevon Looney’s departure to the Pelicans on a two-year, $16M deal. Looney wasn’t just a role player — he was part of the team’s culture, a steady rebounder and defender who represented continuity. Losing him without adding anyone else leaves Golden State even thinner up front. The draft brought Alex Toohey and Will Richards, but rookies and two-way contracts won’t swing a playoff race in a loaded Western Conference. The reason for the standstill is Jonathan Kuminga’s contract situation. He’s a restricted free agent, and negotiations have dragged on for weeks. Reports suggest Golden State offered a two-year, $45M extension, but Kuminga’s camp has considered taking the $7.9M qualifying offer, which would allow him to hit unrestricted free agency in 2026. That uncertainty has frozen the front office. Until his future is resolved, the Warriors have been unwilling to commit to other moves. Targets like Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton or even a reunion with Gary Payton II have been linked, but the franchise has remained stuck. The contrast with February is striking. Trading for Butler was a bold signal to Curry that the team was still willing to take risks to stay competitive. Now, the lack of urgency sends the opposite message. Meanwhile, rivals like the Timberwolves, Thunder and Nuggets have all added depth, and younger teams like Houston and San Antonio continue to load up with talent. Golden State is betting on internal chemistry, but that won’t be enough in a conference this stacked. Curry has always been the voice of patience, the one who trusts the process and avoids public frustration. But patience doesn’t last forever. Each season without reinforcements is another year of his twilight wasted. The Butler trade showed how much of a difference one addition can make; letting that momentum fade feels careless. Curry isn’t panicking, and he won’t issue ultimatums, but his words at camp carried weight. There’s still time before training camp, and Curry himself said he expects some movement by then,but the clock is ticking. When a player as measured as Curry hints at frustration, it matters. Golden State risks wasting more than just an offseason — it risks wasting the final years of one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.
Milwaukee Brewers: Craig Counsell Blasts Former Team’s 14-Game Winning Streak, Gets Caught Lying
The Milwaukee Brewers saw their 14-game win streak, the longest in franchise history, come to an end on Sunday afternoon in an extra innings loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Milwaukee’s bats, which had been red hot for weeks, suddenly cooled and the taxed bullpen could not close out the game, which the Brewers led in the ninth inning. Now, Milwaukee will look to start a new win streak as they head to Chicago for a five-game series, which will be played in a four-day span, against the Cubs. Of course, the Brewers and Cubs have one of the most intriguing rivalries in the game as Chicago’s manager, Craig Counsell, is the winningest skipper in Milwaukee’s franchise history. But, after the 2022 season, Counsell ditched the Brewers, the team his father worked for and he himself played for Milwaukee for a good portion of his career in order to take the Cubs’ job away from David Ross, who was still the team’s manager when they decided to hire their former rival. Earlier this season, Chicago led Milwaukee in the standings by as many as 6.5 games, but now, thanks to the Brewers’ long run of stellar play, are eight games behind the Brewers in the standings. Chicago Cubs Manager Craig Counsell Doesn’t Think the Milwaukee Brewers Are Doing Anything Great Counsell, who still resides in Whitefish Bay on Milwaukee’s north side, is not much loved anymore by Brewers fans, and he has done little to save face in their eyes with comments he has made about the team since joining their I-94 rivals. He added more fuel to the fire in a recent interview with the Chicago Sun Times, Counsell was asked about his thoughts on the Brewers’ winning streak. “What’s so great about it?” he responded. “They’re playing good. I mean, they’re playing great. They haven’t lost since we played them.” And then, to the bewilderment of many, Counsell claimed that, despite being a Milwaukee native, he had “never seen” a George Webb’s” restaurant. Former Milwaukee Brewers Manager Craig Counsell Flat Out Lied Aside from saying that Milwaukee’s 14-game winning streak was not that great, Counsell flat-out lied about his knowledge of George Webb’s. As fans may recall, he himself was the manager of the Brewers the last time they won 12 games in a row, the needed amount of consecutive wins for fans to be able to claim a free hamburger at the local chain. Local fans and reporters quickly unearthed a story from 2018, the year the Brewers won 12 consecutive games (eight at the end of the regular season and their first four postseason games) in which Counsell talks about the giveaway: “I remember the concept of free hamburgers going back so long, it’s hard to believe that it’s never happened since then.” At this point, it is not hard to determine why Counsell said what he said on Sunday. He is just stoking the fires of what is sure to be a hard-fought five-game series in Chicago.
Green Bay Packers: Matt LaFleur Delivers Dire Update on Running Back Marshawn Lloyd
As is the case heading into training camp every year, the Green Bay Packers, along with every NFL team, hopes that they will get through the preseason schedule unscathed by injury. However, as is the nature of football, injuries do happen and teams/players hope that none of them are too serious. Unfortunately, though, it is not uncommon for teams to lose a player or two (or more) for significant amounts of time in the regular season due to injuries they suffered during training camp. Such was the case last year for two of the Packers’ first three draft picks. First round pick Jordan Morgan missed some significant time before and during the season due to a shoulder injury and only appeared in six games. Third round pick Marshawn Lloyd had an even worse time, missing part of training camp with multiple soft tissues injuries. Then, when he finally returned for Week Two, he hurt his ankle and was placed on the injured list, missing multiple weeks. And if those injuries were not bad enough, right before he was set to come off of the injured list, Lloyd needed to have his appendix removed, ending his season. Green Bay Packers Running Back Marshawn Lloyd Got Injured Again on Saturday The only game in which Lloyd appeared last season, the one in which he injured his ankle, was Green Bay’s Week Two contest with the Indianapolis Colts. In that game, he had six carries for 15 yards. On Saturday, in the Packers’ preseason game against the Colts, Lloyd once again had six carries for 15 yards, though he did have one reception for 33 yards as well. And it was after that long catch that he was pulled from the game with what the team said at the time was hamstring tightness. This was not great news for Green Bay or their fans, as Lloyd had already missed the Packers’ first preseason game with a groin injury. And it sounds like, once again, he will not be healthy to start the season. Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur Says Marshawn Lloyd Will Be Out for a While When Lloyd was pulled from the game, everyone hoped that it was as a precaution and that he would not miss any time. After all, when healthy, he has shown flashes of being the burst runner that the Packers knew they were getting when they made him a top-100 draft pick. But in his press conference today, head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters that Lloyd is going to “miss some time,” which likely means he will not be ready for the season opener (again). This is, of course, not the news anyone wanted, and had many people saying that the second-year running back should see the same soft tissue specialist Christian Watson and Eric Stokes saw to solve their injury issues. But according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, he already did: “Lloyd visited the same facility in Madison, Wis., this offseason that helped wide receiver Christian Watson and former Packers cornerback Eric Stokes with their recurring soft-tissue injuries. Yet Lloyd missed this year’s preseason opener after suffering a groin injury in practice and dropped out of Saturday’s game with a hamstring injury.” What this means, of course, is that Lloyd is not doing anything wrong. He has gone, and is going, through a terrible stretch of bad luck when it comes to these injuries. It really is an unfortunate situation.
Sophie Cunningham Offers Solution for Indiana Fever After Loss on Friday
The Indiana Fever have been dealt several bad hands throughout the season, under head coach Stephanie White. Indiana has played a majority of the season without Caitlin Clark due to injury and they recently received news that Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson would be out for the rest of the season with injuries of their own. While Clark and a few other members of the backcourt have been out, Sophie Cunningham and several other stars have taken over. On Friday, the Fever were dealt an unfortunate loss, losing to the Washington Mystics 88-84. Cunningham shared a solution for the Fever after they lost back-to-back games. "Not a lot of teams can beat us," Cunningham said. "For us it’s just remembering who we are. Got to get back to being dogs. Got to get back to being on our front foot. Not allowing teams to come in here and outwork us." The Indiana Fever have clearly proven that they are championship contenders, but injuries have plagued their season. Throughout the 2025 season, Caitlin Clark has posted 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game. All pressure lies on Sophie Cunningham and other stars on the team, but the Fever guard made it clear that as long as Indiana stays within their identity, they should find success. Cunningham has been strong for the Fever during her first season with the team, averaging 8.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. She stars alongside Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Natasha Howard and others while Clark is on the sideline.
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