NBA Rumors: Sixers Rival Won't Have Ben Simmons Available Anytime Soon

When the Philadelphia 76ers finally granted Ben Simmons' wish and traded him away before the deadline, the three-time All-Star began gearing up to return to the court.

Throughout the 2021-2022 NBA season, Simmons sat out for over 50 games due to "personal reasons." In a private meeting with his former coaches and teammates, Simmon revealed he wasn't mentally ready to take the floor this year.

However, a change of scenery helped Simmons overcome that. Once he became a member of the Brooklyn Nets, Simmons went from being ruled out due to "personal reasons" to "reconditioning." According to the Nets, Simmons was ramping up action for his eventual return.

During the process, the veteran guard suffered a setback, though. As he ramped up action, Simmons started experiencing back soreness. Although he hoped to return ahead of Brooklyn's matchup against the Sixers last Thursday, the Nets made it clear that wasn't possible.

Brooklyn hoped his debut would come by Friday when the Nets take on the Portland Trail Blazers, but that won't happen either. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Simmons' back issues will keep him off the floor for an extended period of time.

The Latest on Simmons

"Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons has remained sidelined with an irritation of the L-4 disc of the lower spine, but there's hope he can return for a "couple" of regular-season games prior to the Eastern Conference playoffs, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.

...

"Simmons has continued to receive treatment and to work on strengthening his back and restarting his basketball activities in 1-on-0 settings on the court. With his team in Orlando, Simmons had an epidural shot, coach Steve Nash said Wednesday, and the hope is that will help with the recovery."

Right now, the Nets remain in the Eastern Conference's eighth seed. If the season ended today, they would be a part of the NBA's Play-In Tournament.

Where they'll be next month is unclear -- but it's become evident that Simmons won't be on the floor to help Brooklyn improve their spot in the rankings anytime soon.

While Brooklyn was hopeful of landing the former Sixers All-Star for a final push in the regular season, it seems Simmons won't make much of an impact for the Nets until playoffs at the earliest.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.