Nets' Ben Simmons Won't Play This Week Amid Back Injury Rehab, HC Jacque Vaughn Says

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn told reporters on Tuesday that oft-injured power forward Ben Simmons won't play this week as he continues to recover from his ongoing issues with lower back nerve impingement.

Vaughn noted that Simmons was "still improving" and held an on-court workout Tuesday with "no setbacks."

Since getting traded to the Nets in the 2021-22 season, Simmons has played just 48 games across three campaigns. He sat out the entirety of the 2021-22 season as he sought a trade out of Philadelphia and dealt with back injuries, and various back issues have continued to plague him since.

This season, he's only appeared in six games for the Nets and hasn't played since Nov. 6.

"It's probably one of the most frustrating points in my career just because I wanna be out there to help my team win and compete," Simmons told reporters in December. "But at the end of the day, it's one of those things that's a part of sports. Not every game's promised. Injuries happen. Unfortunately, it happens. So, for me, it's just focusing on what I can do now and doing what I can to get back on the floor and contribute."

Simmons went from being the 2017-18 Rookie of the Year and a three-time All-Star in Philadelphia to a player who can't stay on the court in Brooklyn. At his best, he's a fantastic transition playmaker and an excellent, versatile defender, but it's been a long time since he's been anything close to that player.

The cracks started to show late in his Philadelphia tenure, when Simmons grew more and more tentative on the offensive end. His unwillingness to even attempt perimeter shots hurt Philly's floor-spacing, but the true issue was the decreasing frequency in which he attacked the rim.

Eventually, he was traded to the Nets in the James Harden deal, but that move hasn't netted much positivity for Brooklyn. In his six games this season, he averaged 6.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists, attempting just six shots per game.

At 17-25, the Nets are very real contenders to become sellers ahead of the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline. But it's hard to imagine any team picking up the tab for whatever remains on his $37.8 million deal this season and his $40.3 million salary next year.