According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN on Wednesday, Brooklyn Nets star point guard Ben Simmons of Melbourne, Australia will undergo back surgery during the 2022 National Basketball Association offseason, which will require four months of rehabilitation. Simmons did not play the 2021-22 NBA regular season or playoff for a variety of reasons.
Simmons started the year on the Philadelphia 76ers roster, but decided to holdout. He was then traded to the Brooklyn Nets for James Harden in a blockbuster deal on February 10. Among the other players who went to Brooklyn were Andre Drummond and Seth Curry, while Paul Millsap joined Harden in Philadelphia. A month after being traded to Brooklyn and still not playing for the Nets, Simmons was diagnosed with a herniated disk in his back. He was hopeful to return to the Nets for the playoffs, but still had back pain.
Simmons, who was the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, played four seasons with the 76ers and averaged 15.9 points per game in 275 career regular season games. This was the second time Simmons did not play a single game during an entire NBA season. He missed his rookie season with Philadelphia because of a foot problem.
The Nets were swept by the Boston Celtics in the 2022 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The Celtics won four close contests by a combined total of 18 points.
Simmons is expected to be ready for the start of the 2022-23 NBA regular season. He has three more seasons on his contract with Brooklyn, of which he is set to make over $35 million next season.
