Ben Simmons‘ tumultuous Nets tenure has come to an end, with Simmons and Brooklyn agreeing to a contract buyout on Saturday morning, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Simmons, who is now a free agent, was expected to meet with three teams on Friday, SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley reported.
Simmons’ three seasons with the Nets were marred by injuries and ineffectiveness, as he played in just 90 games while averaging 6.5 points and 6.3 assists.
Acquired ahead of the 2022-23 season from the 76ers in the deal that sent James Harden to Philadelphia, the hope was that Simmons — who was coming off a 2021-22 campaign where he didn’t play due to a holdout and a back injury — would rediscover the form that saw him make the All-Star team three seasons in a row from 2018-19 to 2020-21. That didn’t happen.
Instead, Simmons played in 42 games during his first Nets season, just 15 last season, and has played in 33 (24 starts) so far this season.
Simmons, who is earning a shade over $40 million this season, had been set for unrestricted free agency after the campaign.
