Nets Held Back by Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons is holding the Brooklyn Nets back.

Nov 27, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) dribbles against the Phoenix Suns during the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

While he was once a No. 1 overall pick, Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons is doing more to hurt his team than help.

Bleacher Report writer Greg Swartz believes the Nets will be better off once Simmons is off the roster next season.

"The Ben Simmons experiment in Brooklyn is quickly coming to an end," Swartz writes. "Between constant health issues and the inability to grow his offensive game in any way (zero made three-pointers in 70 games with the Nets), the 28-year-old has looked like a shell of his former self despite still playing on a max contract. Simmons will be a prime buyout candidate following the trade deadline, as his $40.3 million contract will expire this summer. Thanks to this, the Nets are projected to create over $40 million in cap space this offseason, the most of any NBA team. Brooklyn could jump back to relevancy with a top draft pick and major cap space in the summer of 2025. Simmons is helping with both."

Simmons could hypothetically sign a minimum deal with the Nets, but his salary will change, and that will change Brooklyn's trajectory tenfold.

The bigger question the Nets have to ask themselves is what they will do with all of the cap space Simmons will vacate during the offseason. That could truly launch Brooklyn's rebuild and get the team back among the top squads in the Eastern Conference.

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