Ben Simmons and Brooklyn Nets Working On Buyout: Rockets, Clippers, Cavs Linked

The Brooklyn Nets and Ben Simmons are working on a contract buyout to make him a free agent, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. The LA Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets are teams in play for the three-time all-star.

Simmons is averaging 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 25 minutes per game. His minutes and points averages are currently the second-lowest of his seven-year NBA career. Simmons has played in 33 of Brooklyn’s 51 games, and remains a Net after the Feb. 6 deadline.

The 28-year-old’s potential looming availability was also reported by ESPN’s Bobby Marks on Thursday. Simmons is in the last months of a five-year, $177.2 extension he initially penned with the Philadelphia 76ers, the team that drafted him first overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. He is making $40.3 this season with the Nets.

A report from ClutchPoints’ Erik Slater added that rival teams “expect” the Nets to buy out Simmons, and sources said that the Cavs would be “at the front of the line” after that. In addition to Los Angeles and Cleveland, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst mentioned the Houston Rockets as a possible landing spot for Simmons. Windhorst had also discussed Simmons as a buyout candidate for the Cavs on Jan. 28.

If Simmons is bought out, then he wouldn't be able to join any team over the new collective bargaining agreement’s first apron. These teams are the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Simmons was a three-time all-star with the 76ers, but his two-way powers have been diminished after years of back injuries, including two that led to season-ending surgeries in Brooklyn. He hasn't averaged more than six points per game with the Nets, and he remains a complete non-shooter. That makes Simmons a tricky and unique fit despite his high-level playmaking and defense.

Simmons can still be a lethal facilitator when he's pushing in the open court, although it’s worth noting that he's also gradually become a more timid finisher around the basket. This season, the Nets guard has shot 26 free throws (making 18) in 33 games until now. At one point last year, Simmons didn't attempt a foul shot from Oct. 27 to Nov. 29. Still, he can be an energizer in transition, and he’s done that off the bench at times for the Nets this year.

In the half-court, Simmons’ playmaking this season has largely been centered around hand-offs and elbow touches. He can still lack assertiveness as a roller, maybe because he doesn’t want to get fouled, but his screen-setting has definitely improved. Simmons is an easier fit at the 5 against set defenses now compared to his days in Philadelphia, where it sometimes felt like there was more reticence on his behalf to play more like a big than a guard.

Defensively, Simmons is no longer at the peak of his powers. A significant part of that is athleticism. The former Defensive Player of the Year contender can’t quite move like he once did. He also can’t stay on the floor as much. Remember, Simmons has made two All-Defensive first teams — but he can still add value with his switchability and disruption across guards, wings and forwards.

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