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ESPN: Ben Simmons likely to be bought out

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Washington Wizards v Brooklyn Nets
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

The Ben Simmons saga may end with him taking a buyout, three years after the Nets acquired him in the James Harden trade.

Ben Simmons is currently listed as available for Friday night’s game vs. the Miami Heat but according to reports, primarily from ESPN, the Brooklyn Nets and the three-time All-Star who’s been troubled by back woes his entire tenure with Brooklyn may soon be headed elsewhere.

According to both Brian WIndhorst and Shams Charania, Simmons is likely to be bought out by the Nets and find his way to another team, presumably a contender and presumably by March 1. Simmons would have to be off the Nets roster by that date in order to qualify for the post-season.

“The buyout is not done yet as far as I know but Cleveland or Houston are two situations for Ben Simmons.” said Windhorst indicating that indeed there are negotiations. As of early this week, both sides were saying negotiations had not begun.

Said Charania: “Sources tell me Ben Simmons, a three-time All-Star, and the Brooklyn Nets are working on a potential contract buyout to make him a free agent. The Los Angeles Clippers and the Cleveland Cavaliers are potential suitors for him as a free agent. I expect that Ben Simmons will try to join a contender.”

Simmons choice of his next destination is somewhat restricted by the new CBA. Seven teams are not allowed to sign a player that is waived and had a pre-existing salary of $12.8M+. Simmons of course makes $40.3 million this year. The seven are Boston, Denver, the LA Lakers, Milwaukee, Minnesota, New York and Phoenix.

For the Nets, a buyout of Simmons would an embarrassing three-year saga and could permit them to open a roster spot and sign a player to a standard NBA deal …depending on how much money they could save on the buyout. The Nets currently are $677,263 below the luxury tax threshold and have no intention of going over it and incurring sanctions, specifically the repeater tax.

One possibility to replace Simmons is Tyrese Martin, the 6’6” sharpshooter who’s been on a two-way deal since the beginning of the season. To sign him to a standard contract, however, would require Brooklyn to pick up another two million dollars in the buyout. Martin although a two-way, has not yet played for the Long Island Nets this season. Under the two-way rule, he can only play a total of 50 games in the NBA before either signing a standard deal or be cut. He’s currently at 33 games with 31 games left in the season.

Simmons tenure of course has presented the Nets will one issue after another. Traded to Brooklyn as the centerpiece of the return for James Harden at the deadline two three years ago the week, he didn’t play at all the rest of that season or in the playoffs. Then in May of 2022, he underwent back surgery, the first of two Both required lengthy rehabs and he never recovered his explosiveness that made him such a threat when he was with the Philadelphia 76ers.

He’s averaged 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists in his 33 games this season, missing 18 games. Simmons was on a pace to play 53 games, the most he’s played in four years. He played just 15 games last season, his season ending with his second back surgery in March. After the Nets traded Dennis Schroder in December, Simmons has played at a higher level, averaging 7.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.6 assists, as Clutch Points’ Erik Slater noted.

In a recent interview with Scoop B Robinson, Simmons admitted that his mental game is still catching up to his physical abilities. “There are still moments when I do something for the first time and think, ‘Okay, I can do that.’ It’s about building confidence and getting back to a place where I can trust my body fully.”

Simmons is represented by Bernie Lee, the same Toronto-based agent who engineered Jimmy Butler’s exit from Miami … and got him a two-year, $121 million extension with Golden State.

The Nets have two other possible candidates for a post-deadline exit, DeAnthony Melton, acquired from Golden State in the Dennis Schroder deal, and Bojan Bogdanovic, part of the Mikal Bridges trade. Melton is out for the season with a torn ACL while Bogdanovic hasn’t played at all this season, recovering from foot surgery he underwent last April. Waiving either would open up a roster spot but wouldn’t result in any savings. Neither would likely accept a buyout.