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Ben Simmons' disappointing Brooklyn Nets tenure came to a close this weekend. The three-time All-Star agreed to a contract buyout on Saturday and intends to sign a free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.
“We appreciate Ben's time and his work with the group. Now it's time for both sides to move on and see what we got here,” said Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez. “So we're excited with a group of guys we have. Obviously, we wish him luck and the best for him and his family. And now we're focusing on this group.”
Simmons' departure comes three years after he joined the Nets in a blockbuster trade that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers. The former No. 1 pick joined a team with championship aspirations alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
However, after sitting out the entire 2021-22 season due to a back injury and mental health issues, he never approached his All-Star form with Brooklyn.
Ben Simmons buyout leaves tanking Nets with hole at point guard
Simmons appeared in 90 games while battling numerous back injuries over three seasons with the Nets. He averaged 6.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists and never appeared in a playoff game. His offensive passivity, which gained nationwide attention during the 76ers' second-round loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 playoffs, continued to trend in the wrong direction.
The 6-foot-10, 240-pound point guard attempted 5.3 field goals and 1.1 free throws per game as a Net. His per 36-minute averages in both categories have declined every season of his NBA career.
The healthiest and most productive basketball of Simmons' Nets tenure came during this year's tanking campaign. After two seasons cut short by back injuries, he's on pace to appear in 53 games. The Aussie was productive after replacing Dennis Schroder as Brooklyn's starting point guard, averaging 7.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.6 assists over his last 14 appearances.
“We'll miss having Ben around,” said Nets center Day'Ron Sharpe. He brought a lot of chemistry for us. Setting up stuff off the court for us, getting the team bonding together, playing cards with them. I'll miss him on the court. Talking on defense, passing the ball, running the court hard, getting us to play hard, just the energy that he brought. So we're gonna miss it a lot.”
Simmons joins a Clippers team headlined by Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. The change will allow him to play meaningful basketball as he attempts to prove his value to NBA front offices ahead of his free agency this summer. Los Angeles currently sits seventh in the Western Conference standings.
For the Nets, Simmons' departure continues a roster teardown as they angle for a top draft pick. D'Angelo Russell will continue to see a feature role as Brooklyn's starting point guard. But with Cam Thomas sidelined by a hamstring injury, Fernandez is left with Keon Johnson, Trendon Watford and Reece Beekman as primary ball-handler options in the second unit.
“Ben is Ben, and now, whoever plays [point guard], you gotta try to be yourself,” the head coach said. “It's on me to figure it out, figure out what's best for the group. Obviously, having somebody that can get this organized is important. Also, having enough size to rebound and do certain things in this league is very, very important as well. So I think we've done it before. We did it last game. And, yeah, I'm not worried about it, because that's my job.”
