Nets' Ben Simmons Among Worst Pro Sports Contracts

Ben Simmons' contract has aged horribly for the Brooklyn Nets.

Jan 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) is defended by Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) as he takes the ball down court in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets may not have given Ben Simmons his long-term deal that is set to expire at the end of the season, but they probably wish they didn't have to pay him as much as they do.

Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon listed Simmons as one of the 10 worst contracts of the decade in all of professional sports.

"At his peak, Ben Simmons looked like the kind of player who should command a maximum deal. He never had shooting range but played elite defense, showed great passing vision and could rebound well," Kenyon writes. "So, when the Sixers offered a five-year, $180 million extension, it seemed the positives could outweigh a glaring negative.

"Simmons had a decent first season on the contract but didn't play in 2021-22 because of a back injury and holdout. Philly sent the disgruntled guard to the Brooklyn Nets, where Simmons didn't even hit 82 games played until his third season with the organization. In those appearances, he's mustered less than seven points per game. When the 2024-25 campaign ends, the oft-injured Simmons will head to unrestricted free agency."

The Sixers gave Simmons the poor contract, but the Nets have been the ones to take on the grunt of it. They traded for him to try and get James Harden out of town, and that worked. But they had to face the consequences of keeping Simmons for a price tag way beyond his worth.

The Nets have made do with it, and they could cash in by opening up a max spot in free agency this summer once Simmons finally comes off the books, but it doesn't completely erase the scar that Brooklyn has taken on over the past few years.

Simmons and the Nets return to the court tonight as they take on De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and the Sacramento Kings. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET inside the Barclays Center. Fans can watch the game locally on the YES Network, or they can stream it out of network on NBA League Pass.

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