Did Brooklyn Nets make a mistake not trading Ben Simmons at deadline?

Keeping Simmons was the right move

The NBA is a superstar league and the Nets got rid of two of them at the deadline. Of the players who are the closest to that level on the roster right now, Simmons tops the list.

Consistency is an issue for Simmons, but there have been moments this season where fans could catch a glimpse of what Simmons once was. Arguably his best quarter this season was the third quarter against his old team last month, dropping 10 points in the frame against the Philadelphia 76ers; Simmons only had two points in the rest of the game and the Nets lost by four.

There’s a chance the same scenery, but with different parts, will allow Simmons more freedom to figure out his game going forward. It’s hard to see him becoming a team’s top scorer without a three-point shot, but maybe he can find ways to play with the likes of Cam Thomas, Cameron Johnson, Mikal Bridges, and Joe Harris that work well for his skills. Surround him with a bunch of shooters and let his distribution skills shine back through.

The lights in Brooklyn have been bright over the years and certainly stayed that way when Simmons came to replace James Harden. Not everyone is equipped to play under that kind of scrutiny. While that will always exist to some degree in the NBA, it should be less for at least the next few months.

Even if the Nets could’ve swung a trade for Simmons, it might’ve been to their detriment. At the moment, he’s arguably a player that needs to have a pick or a prospect attached at the hip to move. That could exacerbate the talent drain.

The Ben Simmons experience in Brooklyn hasn’t been great so far, but it can’t get any worse, right? Right???