Ben Simmons Diagnosed With Nerve Impingement: Aftermath, Performance & Contract Details

Ben Simmons’ possible return to the court this season is in question after the Brooklyn Nets revealed on Friday night that he has a nerve impingement in his back.

Ben Simmons Diagnosed With Nerve Impingement, Return To Nets In Peril

During a re-evaluation on Friday, the team announced that Simmons, who has missed 15 straight games due to a mix of back and left knee pain, has been diagnosed with the nerve problem in his back. Simmons hasn’t played since Brooklyn’s final game before the All-Star Break last month.

Yet with only nine regular-season games remaining and the Nets having stumbled into the play-in, it seems almost probable that the 26-year-old Simmons won’t play again until next year.

Simmons said in November that it would take him an entire year and a half to fully heal from a nerve damage.

“Yeah, it takes time to build, especially with having a nerve injury,” Simmons said. “It takes 18 months for your nerves to fully heal. People don’t know that. But over time, you know, I get better and better. Just keep pushing.” 

“Definitely operating under that belief,” Vaughn said, when asked directly if he’s expecting Simmons to play again this season. “There’s zero discussions about him not playing. We expect him to be back, waiting for him to be back, watching the last Sacramento game, it was great to see him and his physicality versus [Kings All-Star Domantas] Sabonis last time, so looking forward to seeing that again, for sure.”

Simmons’ Performance This Season

while he has returned to the court this season, his performance has dipped. He’s come off the bench nine times across his 42 games and has seen his numbers tumble across the board, as he’s posting career lows in minutes (26.3), points (6.9), rebounds (6.3), assists (6.1) and free throw percentage (43.9).

How Long Is Simmons’s Contract With the Nets?

Simmons has another two years remaining on his contract, paying him $37.8 million in 2023-24 and 40.3 million in 2024-25.

Season 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26
Simmons’ salary $35.4 million $37.9 million $40.3 million UFA

Is Trade The Aftermath Of Injury?

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Brooklyn plans to “evaluate what trade market may emerge for Simmons” after the season, but moving him somewhere won’t be simple.

Also, the Nets don’t see the benefit of tying draft selections to Simmons in a deal. With the Durant and Irving trade, they have just restocked the cabinet. They may utilise those picks to speed up a reconstruction, so they can’t afford to toss them away.

Simmons and the Nets are stuck working together for the time being.

 

 

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