Brooklyn Nets Should Return Ben Simmons For Final Season Under Contract

The Nets will be off Ben Simmons' hefty salary after the 2024-25 NBA season.

Feb 29, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (not in uniform) sits on the / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The Brooklyn Nets are in a weird situation. They've got plenty of different directions they can go in terms of team-building. They can make small tweaks, trading high-value role players for young players and draft compensation. They can use what future draft capital they've salvaged over the past two years to acquire a star to try and compete in the Eastern Conference.

Either way, Ben Simmons' future with the team is in jeopardy. He's on the final year of his five-year, $177 million contract, which the team brought in when offloading James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers.

In three seasons with the Nets, Simmons played 57 games and started 45 contests. In March, he was shut down once again, missing the rest of the season with another back surgery.

Still, despite the uncertainty around his availability, the Nets should return Simmons and his contract for one more season. Nets general manager Sean Marks believes Simmons will be healthy come training camp, where the 28-year-old can prepare for a contract season.

“All signs point towards him being available for the start of next season," Marks explained. "With Ben it’s very unfortunate, we looked like we were a completely different team when Ben was healthy out there. So it’s paramount that we get him back and we get him healthy."

Fresh off another surgery with the offseason to heal, Simmons is entering a contract season heading into what should be his prime in the NBA. With his $177 million contract coming to an end, Simmons has something to prove as he tries to earn another contract.

For the Nets, they could see the best version of Simmons they've gotten since he arrived in Brooklyn, though they shouldn't count on it. If not, they still get his contract off the books heading into next offseason.

In the current state of the roster, it's best for the Nets to sit on their hands while their own draft picks replenish. Until then, the only trades that truly make sense are acquiring draft capital or young talents. It's hard to imagine they can get off Simmons' contract while gaining either of those two things. So, again, sitting on their hands and letting his contract get off the books makes the most sense.

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