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

The verdict

There were not many rumors prior to the deadline that Brooklyn was planning on moving Simmons, although the same could be said for Durant, even after the Irving trade. There might not have been a way to deal with the mercurial guard.

If there was a way to move Simmons, Brooklyn erred in not doing so.

People are writing off Simmons, which may be fair at this point. Then again, a lot of the attributes are there for Simmons to succeed in the right environment. But like his former teammate, Irving, and Russell Westbrook, bad vibes just seem to accompany Simmons wherever he goes. Brooklyn doesn’t feel like home for him anymore.

The Nets seem to be thinking along similar lines. There’s already been a report in the last week from Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports that the Nets would explore Simmons’ trade value during the offseason.

Simmons still has two years and approximately $80 million left on his contract. Trading away a player who couldn’t be any further from his peak form and making that kind of money until free agency in 2025 promises to be a challenge.

Considering the Nets traded Irving and Durant at the deadline, shipping off Simmons at the time seemed logical too. But his struggles on the court differentiate him from his former Brooklyn teammates.

Did the Brooklyn Nets make a mistake by keeping Ben Simmons at the deadline? Yes. Did they have a choice? Seems unlikely.