Brooklyn Nets forward Ben Simmons has had another forgettable season, playing in 15 games before being shut down for the year with back issues.
This marks the second straight season that Simmons has missed significant time for the Nets with his back issue and has sparked betting odds on the question of his retirement.
That's not to say that Simmons is expected to retire, but between the issues that ended his tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers and the injuries that have plagued him with the Nets, Bet Online is offering +350 odds that Simmons will retire before the start of next season.
Last week, Hornets head coach Steve Clifford spoke about Nets fans' frustrations and emphasized the impact of Simmons' unavailability.
“The reality of this is that when you have a guy like Ben who's only playing so many games, people forget that he's on the roster. You're not gonna be nearly the team you can be when you have an All-Star-caliber player making that much of the salary cap and not playing much. It's just the way it is,” Clifford said. “And what happens is when guys are out for the season and they don't play much, it's easy for fans to look at it and forget about it. But you can't make up for that. The cap is the cap.”
After undergoing surgery on his L-4 and L-5 discs during the 2022 offseason, the three-time All-Star played 42 games last year before being shut down due to a nerve impingement in the right side of his back.
Despite a seven-month rehab process, Ben Simmons played six games to start 2023-24 before suffering an impingement in the left side of his back. He missed three months before returning to play nine games for the Nets and then being shut down.
When on the floor, the former No. 1 pick continued to look like a shell of his old self, averaging 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists
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