NEW YORK — (AP) — Ben Simmons' time with the Brooklyn Nets appears to be over.
The No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft was not with the Nets for their game Friday night against the Miami Heat as the sides work toward a buyout of his contract.
Coach Jordi Fernandez said Simmons would remain away from the team, though said he would hold off for now on commenting on the expected parting. He did praise Simmons for working his way back from a series of injuries that caused such an ineffective time in Brooklyn.
“I know that not playing for a season and then limited games another season and now fighting his way back, playing I think it was a little over 20 minutes or mid-20s,” said Fernandez, in his first season with the Nets. “So that’s pretty good. Really good to see that after going through a surgery, now being back playing basketball."
But it's far less than the Nets hoped when they acquired the three-time All-Star in a trade for James Harden at the 2022 trade deadline. He didn't play at all the rest of that season after hurting his back trying to work his way back into shape after sitting out the first half of that season in Philadelphia.
The injury problems, mostly due to lower back nerve damage, continued to limit Simmons. He made it through just half of the 2022-23 season and played only 15 games last season.
Simmons has played in 33 of the Nets' 51 games this season, starting 24, and averaged 6.2 points and 6.9 assists.
Simmons is making $40 million this season and will be a free agent afterward. ESPN reported that he would meet with Cleveland and the Los Angeles Clippers about signing with them for the rest of this season.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
