Should the Brooklyn Nets gauge the trade market for Ben Simmons?
The Brooklyn Nets have the 2023 NBA Draft coming up in less than a week from today and while they have to figure out what to do with their draft picks, there’s something else that they have to consider as well during this offseason. Per Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report, Brooklyn should explore the trade market for guard Ben Simmons.
Simmons, 26, has two years and over $78 million left on his five-year and $177 million extension that he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019. Seeing as the former 76er has played just 42 games in the past two seasons because of various ailments regarding his back, not to mention a holdout to force Philadelphia to trade him, it’s hard to see much of a market for Simmons.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports reported back in February that the Nets were expected to see what the market will bare for Simmons. There has been no indication that Brooklyn is actively shopping Simmons at this time, but training camp is not until September so anything can happen between now and then.
At this point, Brooklyn has been patient with Simmons during his recovery from back surgery and the current nerve impingement that he is recovering from. Lastly, to give a sense of what Simmons could get the Nets in a trade, ESPN’s Bobby Marks said in February during an appearance on the Keyshawn, JWill, and Max show that Simmons had no trade value at the time.
A couple of Nets notes from @BobbyMarks42 on @KeyJayandMax:
1. Ben Simmons has no value around the league right now in any potential deal.
2. If the Nets decide to move KD — their return would be greater this summer than it would be before Thursday’s trade deadline.
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) February 6, 2023
