Ben Simmons’ Disappointing Nets Tenure Ends in a Buyout After Missing 207 Of 297 Games

Ben Simmons‘ time with the Brooklyn Nets has been so disappointing that at multiple points, it looked like it might be over.

Back in March 2023, a nerve impingement in his back, along with knee troubles, sidelined him. A year later, the same issue shut him down again.

Simmons’ tumultuous tenure has finally ended, with him and the Nets finalizing a buyout.

He spent most of his Brooklyn tenure sidelined – missing 207 of 297 games – and was ruled out for the Miami Heat game early in the day and officially listed as away from the team.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers, all in the midst of playoff pushes, scheduled a Friday meeting with Simmons.

The Nets stood pat at Thursday’s NBA trade deadline – no last-minute trades and no roster shakeups.

As things unfolded, it became clear that a buyout for Simmons was the likeliest outcome, and by Friday, his future had been decided.

Simmons was in the final year of a five-year, $177.2 million contract he had signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in Jul. 2019, a contract that Brooklyn took on in the 2022 trade deadline deal that sent James Harden to the Sixers.

Having played just 15 games last season, Simmons had appeared in 33 of the Nets’ 51 games this year by Friday, still dealing with injuries but still finding ways to contribute when able to a team focused on rebuilding.

His arrival in February 2022 marked the first step in reshaping the Nets’ roster. Simmons’ addition indicated that the team aimed to maintain its competitiveness.

By the 2023 trade deadline, both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant had forced their exits from Brooklyn, making him the only one left of the big three.

He went from being a piece trying to integrate into a championship-contending roster to the lone survivor of a roster shakeup – eventually becoming a very expensive and costly asset – trying to adjust to a rebuilding process.

Simmons’ stint with the Nets ends without a playoff appearance.

This year he is averaging 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game on a Nets roster that’s seen frequent changes in the lineup.