Nets' Ben Simmons Has NBA's Worst Contract

Ben Simmons is costing the Brooklyn Nets a lot of money this season.

Oct 14, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons (10) dribbles toward the basket against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Brooklyn Nets forward Ben Simmons is finally healthy and ready to go after dealing with back issues throughout his entire tenure with the team.

Even though he is healthy, Simmons likely won't live up to his $40.3 million salary this season, which is one of the richest contracts in the NBA.

It's also the worst-value deal in the league, according to Bleacher Report writer Eric Pincus.

"Simmons is in the final year of his 2019 rookie-scale extension (via the Philadelphia 76ers), and his salary makes him one of the league's higher-paid players. The Nets took him on as part of the 2022 James Harden trade. After missing all of the 2021-22 season—Simmons has back issues—he has played in 57 games over two years for the Nets," Pincus writes. "Now, the team is full-on rebuilding. Whatever minutes Simmons provides the team may not matter much as the franchise turns its attention to player development and the draft while waiting for Simmons' salary to finally come off the books."

The Nets knew what kind of contract they were taking on when they acquired Simmons for James Harden back in 2022. While the deal looks like a total bust for the Nets in hindsight, the team is coming to the end of that contract in the offseason. But in the mean time, they will look to see how much Simmons is actually worth in hopes of being able to keep him around on a cheaper deal next season.

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