Nets' Ben Simmons Undergoes Surgery for Back Injury After Being Ruled Out for Season

Brooklyn Nets forward Ben Simmons underwent surgery to alleviate a nerve impingement in his lower back, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The Nets previously announced on March 7 that Simmons would miss the rest of the regular season to explore treatment options for the nerve impingement.

The 27-year-old only appeared in 15 games during his 2023-24 campaign as he struggled to stay on the floor, averaging a career-low 6.1 points in 23.9 minutes per game.

Simmons has been plagued by back issues over the past few years, which have carried over to Brooklyn after he was acquired by the team in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2022. Since the deal that was headlined by James Harden occurred, the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft has suited up in just 57 games.

This is the second back surgery for Simmons, as he underwent a procedure in May 2022 to address pain associated with a herniated disc. He's struggled to find his former All-Star self ever since, averaging just 6.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game with Brooklyn.

Simmons has also taken a step back defensively, which has hurt his ability to remain effective on the floor despite his diminished scoring. His net rating of -3.4 in the 2023-24 season ranked No. 9 among the 12 Nets players who have logged at least 15 minutes per game (via NBA.com).

The former Rookie of the Year has one season remaining on the five-year contract that he signed with the 76ers in 2019.

It'll likely be difficult for Brooklyn to find a trade partner before his contract expires, as he'll have a cap hit of just over $40.3 million during his 2024-25 campaign. That accounts for roughly 28.6 percent of the salary cap (via Spotrac).