Simmons was already going to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, but his $40 million contract this season made it impossible for the Nets to trade him for even the tiniest

It looked like Ben Simmons’ days as an NBA player were numbered. After missing the entire 2021-2022 season with a back injury following his trade from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Brooklyn Nets, Simmons returned to play only 43 games during the 2022-23 season and just 15 games during the 2023-24 campaign last year.