When Ben Simmons was dealt to the Brooklyn Nets in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers last season, the hope was that he would be able to regain his previous form and confidence thanks to playing alongside stars like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Well, both of those stars are now gone, and Simmons remains a disappointing and confusing player for many.
As it turns out, the Nets may be losing hope for Simmons as well. A new report indicates that the team will gauge his trade value this offseason.
“What becomes of Simmons and the final two years and nearly $80 million remaining on his contract after this season is of course another dynamic to monitor in Brooklyn,” Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report wrote. “The Nets are widely expected to gauge what trade market could materialize for Simmons after his disappointing campaign comes to a close. The three-time All-Star is still far from the form he exhibited during his best days in Philadelphia.”
Though the Nets may have interest in moving Simmons, the front office is going to have to be super realistic about what it thinks it could potentially get in return for him.
While Simmons is a three-time All-Star who flashed brilliance earlier in his career, the player that he once was seems to be gone now.
Virtually all of his numbers are down from his career averages this season. Currently, he’s putting up 7.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game.
He continues to struggle as a shooter and still shows little interest in improving in that aspect of the game.
So, while the 76ers managed to get James Harden in a deal including Simmons, the Nets likely have no expectation of landing a star in any potential trade that includes the Australian national this summer.
In fact, it’s quite possible that the Nets would have to be the team to sweeten the pot in any potential Simmons deal in order to convince a team to take on the 26-year-old’s contract.
It’s been a pretty stunning fall from grace for the former No. 1 overall pick and 2018 Rookie of the Year.
Only time will tell if Simmons ever manages to regain his former level of play. At the moment, chances seem slim. Perhaps another change of scenery is what he needs.
