Cleveland might end up with a Ben Simmons dilemma that Nets fans know all too well.
If the Cavs don’t make a move at the Feb. 6 trade deadline, many believe the Eastern Conference leaders will become players in the buyout market. When ESPN Cleveland inquired about who Cleveland might target going forward, ESPN's Brian Windhorst took an interesting route in speculation.
“What you’d be looking for is a perimeter guard who has size and can defend,” Windhorst said.
Chicago’s Lonzo Ball and Brooklyn’s Ben Simmons were the two players Windhorst then mentioned as buyout candidates that fall in line with Cleveland’s interests.
We are very carefully sharing this clip from @WindhorstESPN where he talks about the types of players the Cavs COULD be looking for in the buyout market....
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) January 28, 2025
"Two guys who could be bought out that fit that bill are Lonzo Ball and Ben Simmons," - Windy. pic.twitter.com/2efZUgS0mp
Simmons is one of the few threats to the Nets’ tank left, plain and simple. Earlier this month, general manager Sean Marks admitted Brooklyn might not be making decisions to win games or put the most talent out on the floor, which Simmons indirectly responded to by saying, “We’ve got to go in there like we want to win regardless of what the front office is expecting.”
Ben Simmons (career): 13.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists
Ben Simmons (2024-25): 6.3 points, 5.3 rebounds. 7.1 assists
He should feel that way, too. No one minds him saying that. Simmons is trying to create as much value for himself as possible heading into unrestricted free agency this summer. The three-time NBA All-Star has averaged 6.6 points, 6.4 assists, and 5.2 rebounds through just 87 games with the Nets, across three seasons, so he’s definitely still got something to prove. Why not ensure if he does prove it, at least it’s somewhere else?
Keeping Simmons to close the 2024-25 campaign is a risk Marks shouldn’t be willing to take.
In Wednesday's matchup against the Hornets, Simmons posted 10 points, six assists, two rebounds and one steal off the bench, making four of his six shots from the floor through 23 minutes. Brooklyn easily rolled past Charlotte, 104-83, to snap its seven-game losing streak and remain stuck with the fifth-best NBA Draft Lottery odds.
Losses will get to any athlete at a certain point, and no one really wants to be with a franchise prioritizing failure, but this decision has already been made. Brooklyn wants one thing more than any: ping-pong balls. The former No. 1 overall pick getting bought out would only help that cause, also allowing the Nets to free a valuable roster spot for undervalued or overlooked players in preparation for a new-look unit next season.
It’s time for the Simmons era in Brooklyn to end early, for both sides.