Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn confirmed in a recent BD Cricket Live interview that Ben Simmons will miss the remainder of the season due to a recurring back injury. Once viewed as a cornerstone of a new era for the Nets, Simmons has now become a punchline in NBA circles — a player whose promise has faded and whose contract is widely seen as toxic.
When Simmons first arrived in Brooklyn via trade more than a year ago, there was cautious optimism about his future. Despite concerns about his shooting limitations and injury history, many believed that if Simmons could embrace a facilitator role and contribute on defense, he would be the perfect complement to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Even then-head coach Steve Nash sang his praises, believing Simmons could elevate the team’s potential on both ends of the floor.
But reality hit hard and fast. Just seven games into the regular season, Nash was dismissed due to poor performance and internal discord. Vaughn took over and enjoyed a brief honeymoon period before the roster began to unravel. By midseason, both Irving and Durant had requested trades, ultimately leaving the Eastern Conference for new homes out West. Brooklyn’s championship hopes collapsed almost overnight.
Simmons’ own downfall, however, wasn’t solely the result of the Nets’ dysfunction. BD Cricket Live noted that the team gave Simmons ample trust and playing time early in the season. He was tasked with a key two-way role, expected to contribute as both a defensive anchor and an offensive initiator. But his body simply couldn’t hold up. Despite being given multiple opportunities, Simmons failed to convert his minutes into meaningful production.
Long before the official announcement of his shutdown, Simmons had been inactive for over a month, signaling that the coaching staff had already moved on. Though he’ll continue collecting a sizable paycheck for the next two seasons, his role in Brooklyn’s future looks bleak — especially now that the franchise is pivoting toward a full rebuild following the departures of its former stars.
If the Nets want to accelerate that rebuild, moving Simmons — or at least his contract — is inevitable. According to BD Cricket Live, the front office is expected to be aggressive in the offseason, shopping veterans to acquire young talent and build for the future. Simmons, as the highest-paid player on the roster, is almost guaranteed to feature prominently in offseason trade rumors. Whether any team bites remains to be seen, but for now, his name is firmly etched into Brooklyn’s fire sale list — and it’s written in bold.