Nets Guard Gets Positive Update Before NBA Season

Brooklyn Nets' Ben Simmons is entering a huge season.

Feb 13, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) brings the ball up court in the third quarter against the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

September is halfway over the October marks the return of NBA basketball. Minicamps are being held, media days will take place later this month and players will return to their respective basketball. Needless to say, the return of the NBA is nearing.

For the Brooklyn Nets, this season is set to be a weird one. The trade of Mikal Bridges marked the beginning of a rebuild, though the club has plenty of other players they'll likely move on from before the season ends.

For Ben Simmons, this season is much more than that. He's garnered plenty of doubters over the course of his five-year, $177 million contract. He played for the Philadelphia 76ers for the first season of his new deal, appearing in 57 games. In the three seasons in Brooklyn? Just 57 appearances and 45 starts.

Simmons' current biggest issue isn't his mental block or incapability of shooting 3-pointers, but rather his inability to stay healthy and play basketball games. He's got a contract to earn, as he's in the final year of the enormous deal he signed prior to the 2020-21 NBA season.

The former No. 1 overall pick might be trending in the right direction, however. The 28-year-old Nets guard is reportedly more "advanced" than he was a year ago, having been playing 5-on-5 for weeks now, according to NetsDaily.

For other older talents in Brooklyn -- such as Cameron Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith and others -- there is a trade market since they're capable of impacting winning basketball. Simmons' injury history erases that track record for him, and no team wants to trade for a $40 million salary.

Simmons will likely stick around with the Nets to complete the final year of his contract -- which could be a good thing. If he is ramping up and finally set to begin a season fully healthy, Brooklyn gives him an opportunity to earn his next contract. The roster will continually be torn down, so the results overall might not be good for the Nets, but Simmons will have the potential to display his playmaking and high-level defense.

Should the report prove to be true, Simmons could be in quite a solid position to slowly rebuild his reputation and basketball career.

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