- Ben Simmons’ recurring back problems have sidelined him for the rest of the 2023-24 NBA season.
- The Brooklyn Nets guard played in only 42 games in 2022-23 and 15 games this season.
- According to the latest odds, Simmons is not expected to retire before the start of the 2024-25 NBA season.
Ben Simmons has officially been ruled out for the rest of the 2023-24 campaign due to a lower back nerve impingement. With Simmons struggling to stay on the court in recent years, the 27-year-old might be contemplating early retirement. However, Simmons is heavily favored to remain in the league before the 2024-25 NBA season tips off.
According to BetOnline, Simmons is a -1000 favorite not to retire before from the NBA at the start of next season. That equals an implied probability of 90.9% of playing NBA basketball in 2024-25. If you have a different opinion, you can wager on Simmons retiring at +550 odds.
Simmons is currently in the fourth year of a five-year, $177.2 million contract. He played one year of his new contract with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2020-21 before being traded to the Nets. Despite Brooklyn’s plans to use Simmons as a defensive pillar, he hasn’t been able to be healthy consistently.
The Aussie hasn’t played more than 60 games in a season since the 2019-20 campaign. In 2018-19, the No. 1 pick of the 2016 NBA Draft recorded a career-high 16.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in his second season in the NBA, but has struggled ever since.
Simmons Undergoes Second Back Surgery
For the second time in three seasons, Simmons has been under the knife to attempt to repair a lower back injury. On Thursday, March 14, Simmons had a microscopic partial discectomy to fix a pinched nerve. The injury has hampered Simmons’ ability to complete basic, everyday tasks, let alone play in the NBA.
The procedure was performed by Dr. Timur Urakov at the UHealth Jackson Memorial Medical Center. In May 2022, Simmons received microdiscectomy surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back. A month earlier, he was confident that the injury would not require surgery, though he has been dealing with back ailments ever since tweaking it during off-season training.
The injury came shortly after Simmons required time off to attend to his mental health. He referenced his time with the Philadelphia 76ers as being a difficult time in his life, which ultimately spurred the trade to the Nets.
“I need to get in a good place mentally. It wasn’t about the fans or coaches or comments made by anybody. It was just a personal thing for me that was earlier than that series or even that season that I was dealing with. That organization knew that. It was something that I continue to deal with, and I’m getting there and getting the right place to get back on the floor.”
Simmons’ time in Philadelphia is marred by shortcomings in big playoff games. A good example is the game against the Atlanta Hawks in 2021 when Simmons was booed heavily after the 76ers blew a 22-point halftime lead.
The Australian guard missed 11 free throws and was among the main contributors to this defeat. This is only one of many examples of Simmons’ turbulent relationship with fans during his career in Philadelphia.
Expected Return for 2024-25 Training Camp
According to the Nets, Simmons’ back surgery went well on Thursday. The procedure meant to alleviate the nerve impingement was reported as a success by Dr Urakov.
The Nets added that Simmons is expected to make a recovery in time for the start of training camp next year. If everything goes according to plan, the guard should be back next season.
Nevertheless, two back surgeries in three seasons is not a minor issue, with Simmons quite possibly never recovering completely again. Having played just 57 games over the last three years, there isn’t much confidence around the NBA that Simmons can return to top form.
Last season, Simmons averaged just 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists in 42 games. He played an average of 26.3 minutes per game. Before exiting the floor for good this season, Simmons was delivering similar numbers.
In 15 games, the former All-Star recorded 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game. Even if Simmons can avoid injuries, there isn’t much optimism about returning to his 2018-2020 production levels.
