Ben Simmons may soon be the teammate of the player he was last traded for.
The Brooklyn Nets have requested waivers for the three-time NBA All-Star, ending a tumultuous tenure with the franchise that lasted just under three years.
On Feb. 10, 2022, Brooklyn acquired Simmons, guard Seth Curry, center Andre Drummond and two future first round draft picks from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for guard James Harden and forward Paul Millsap. The Australian native played a total of 90 games in a Nets jersey in the nearly three years he was with the franchise.
Simmons, who signed a five-year, $177 million deal with the 76ers in 2019, will reportedly join the Los Angeles Clippers, where Harden plays.
“He’s done a good job competing and being part of our club and our culture and showing up and working with his teammates,” Brooklyn head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “Whatever we asked him to do, he’s done it.”
Fernandez talked more about the now-former Nets player.
“He did his job, and he did a great job, so everything we’ve asked him to do, his role for the team to help us get better himself, to get better, I’ve been very pleased with him,” he said. “The only thing I can say what he’s done since I’ve got to know him and work with him, and I can only say very good things, you know, getting himself into shape, working as any other guy that has worked here really hard every day and going out there and compete, obviously more experience than other guys. He’s got playoff experience and like you said, also the adversity of the injuries. I know that not playing for a season and then limited games another season and now fighting his way back, I think it was like a little over 20 minutes or mid-twenties so that’s pretty good, really good to see that after going through a surgery now, being back playing basketball, he’s done a really good job for us. Like I’ve always said, a very good play maker. Defensively, he has been great for us, and he’s done what we ask him to do, especially pushing the pace in transition.”
Though Simmons will likely never get back to his All-Star form, in a reserve role backing up the player he was traded for nearly three years to the date, he will add value to the Clippers roster.
