Ben Simmons' Contract Won't Plague Nets As Much As You Think

Simmons is the most overpaid player in the NBA, but it isn't overbearing.

Feb 29, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (not in uniform) sits on the bench in the first quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Brooklyn Nets point forward Ben Simmons is widely agreed to be on the worst contract in the NBA. The 28-year-old will be paid $40.3 million for the 2024-25 season after signing a five-year, $177 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2020.

At the time, the signing was met with generally positive responses. Simmons was an All-Star at that point, playing his best basketball on a playoff team. However, injuries, failure to improve, and internal issues with the 76ers resulted in Simmons being traded to the Nets. The same trend has continued, minutes that internal issues.

Simmons is still catching strays from across the league. In a recent episode of Complex's GOAT Talk, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal called Simmons a "bum."

"Ben Simmons is another bum... if you sign a contract for 250 (million), show me 250," O'Neal said. "There's a reason why I walk funny, why I can't turn my neck and why I can't do it because I played for my 120. So, you got guys like him that [expletive] the system over there making all this money and they can't [expletive] play."

Simmons is on a massively overpaid contract, yes, but his deal won't necessarily plague the Nets as much as you think.

The first reason is that Simmons' contract is up after this season. Unless he somehow impresses Brooklyn enough to re-sign him, this will likely be his last season with the team. This means that the Nets' 2025 free agency won't be affected by Simmons.

The second reason is that Brooklyn is rebuilding. The team shouldn't be focused on clearing up cap space for free agents, but rather on developing their young core for the future. They aren't plagued by being over the first nor second apron, and with Simmons' contract up, it wouldn't be a worry anyway. The Nets should be focused on rebuilding through the draft, while letting Simmons play out the final year of his contract.

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