The Brooklyn Nets altered their entire franchise at the trade deadline this year. They traded Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks. They traded Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns. And they traded Ben Simmons to … nobody.
Yes, Ben Simmons is the last superstar standing in Brooklyn. And considering his play as of late, that status is in question.
As Brooklyn tries to forge a new path, the keeping of Simmons deserves particular scrutiny. It’s difficult to turn over a leaf when a prominent vestige of the failed Big Three experiment in the borough remains in place.
The Brooklyn Nets are moving on from their Big Three dreams, but did they err in keeping Ben Simmons on the team?
The 26-year-old is an active player, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at the box scores. In the team’s final game before the All-Star break, he played 20 minutes against the Miami Heat, but scored only two points on two shots, along with four assists and four rebounds.
Simmons has confessed that he doesn’t know what his role is with the franchise anymore. Frankly, it’s unclear if anyone knows what it is. But at his best, Simmons can contribute to any team in almost every way, save shooting the ball – he doesn’t have any three-point makes this season, the story of his career.
But we’ve seen what Simmons is capable of at his best. He was the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. He was the Rookie of the Year and a three-time All-Star. He’s led the league in steals and made All-Defensive First Team twice. That player didn’t just disappear.
Let’s evaluate the pros and cons of keeping Simmons past the deadline.