The Brooklyn Nets have finally decided to fully embrace a rebuild, starting by trading away Mikal Bridges and reclaiming control over their next two drafts. This strategic shift gives the franchise the flexibility to chart a new course. The big …
The Brooklyn Nets have finally decided to fully embrace a rebuild, starting by trading away Mikal Bridges and reclaiming control over their next two drafts. This strategic shift gives the franchise the flexibility to chart a new course. The big question now is whether Brooklyn will also look to move other key players like Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Dennis Schroeder, who all have potential trade value. Even Nic Claxton, fresh off his offseason re-signing, could become a trade asset when he’s eligible to be moved this season (which is January 15, 2025).
While expectations are low for the Nets, the departure of Bridges opens the door for a new star to take center stage. Cam Thomas, who averaged 22.5 points per game last season, will now have an even larger role, solidifying his rising trajectory. The 22-year-old guard is emerging as a key building block for the team’s future or a valuable trade asset. Meanwhile, Schroeder, coming off a stellar performance in the 2024 Paris Olympics, will run the offense at point guard. Nic Claxton’s new long-term deal provides some stability in the paint for Brooklyn.
Despite this foundation, the Nets seem poised to tank in hopes of landing a top prospect, potentially someone like Cooper Flagg, as they fully commit to a long-term rebuild.
Former teammates Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid top the list of highest-paid players per game in NBA history, according to HoopsHype’s research (minimum 15 games played). Both fit a common trend among the leaders in our ranking: star players who signed …
Former teammates Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid top the list of highest-paid players per game in NBA history, according to HoopsHype’s research (minimum 15 games played). Both fit a common trend among the leaders in our ranking: star players who signed massive contracts but couldn’t fully meet expectations due to injuries.
This pattern runs throughout the list, with several big names cashing in despite limited availability. In total, 19 players have earned at least $300,000 per contest over their careers.
Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Prince J. Grimes.
What’s going on, y’all. Welcome back to Layup Lines. I apologize for using such an old meme reference in the headline to get you here, but it is kinda fitting considering we were probably using that meme the last time Ben Simmons was good.
OK. That was mean. But hear me out.
In the three years since his last All-Star season in 2020-21, Simmons has played a grand total of 57 games. Some of that is due to injuries, some of it is because he never fully recovered from what happened against the Atlanta Hawks. Whatever the reasons, it’s been a long time since we’ve had enough evidence to believe he can be a good NBA player again.
Unless, of course, you’re into those offseason workout videos athletes love to post of themselves working on things they never actually do in games. Then, believers of the Brooklyn Nets forward have the most promising evidence yet of his impending bounce-back after four years of trying.
Simmons has been in the gym with renowned trainer Chris Brickley, and the results look about as good as you could expect for someone with good editing and no defense in front of him.
I hope I’m wrong. I would love to see Simmons be good again. He’s only 28. And Brickley is really selling it, responding to another skeptic on X by saying Simmons “is better now than his All Star seasons.”
That’s saying a lot.
Thanks bro but Ben is healthy, moving very well, he is better now than his All Star seasons. I’ve never co-signed a player that didn’t prove it when their season started. Trust me on this one. https://t.co/B2r0Z0UKtX
At the same time, the problems with Simmons have been just as much about his physical breaking down as his mental. Back issues limited him to just 15 games last season. It’s the third straight year he’s been sidelined by back problems. Brickley can’t fix that.
That’s before we get to his shaken confidence. Though he averaged a career-high 11.9 rebounds per 36 minutes in those 15 games last season, and his 8.6 assists per 36 minutes were the second-best of his career, he was clearly a more tentative offensive player. Yes, he shot a career-high 58% from the field, but it was on a career-low 7.4 attempts per game — a number that’s dipped each year he’s played.
Even if he somehow gets over that mental hurdle, how much have the injuries and time away from the floor impacted his mobility and defensive abilities?
I don’t know the answer to any of that, but I know this video doesn’t bring me any closer to knowing either. So, I’ll just wait to see Simmons in a real game before I believe he’s back. You probably should too.
Adrian Wojnarowski retires
The Vertical
You’ve surely heard by now, but ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski announced his retirement this morning.
Our guy Mike Sykes contextualized the news about as well as anyone could in today’s The Morning Win: It’s the end of an era.
“Of course, I’m happy for him. He’s worked hard and has earned the right to enjoy the fruits of his labor.
But at the same time, Woj was one of the defining characters of the NBA basketball era I loved the most. His reporting shaped the zeitgeist. He didn’t just break news stories – he changed how the league was covered. Nobody scooped things the way he scooped things.
For so long, in the early aughts going into the 2010s, following Woj on Twitter was like being an NBA insider yourself. The platform was still young — everyone in real life wasn’t on it. But Woj used the platform as a news-breaking forum, so you’d have the scoop before all your friends did. It was almost like you were breaking the news yourself.
It’s not hyperbole to say that the NBA doesn’t become the league it currently is without the work Woj did covering it. He’s an essential character in the league’s story over the last decade and change in the same way an NBA superstar would be.”
Shaquille O’Neal recently went viral for comments he made about Rudy Gobert and Ben Simmons, and he is already doubling down on it.
During a conversation with Complex Sports, the hoops legend was asked who he felt was the worst NBA player of all time. O’Neal immediately said it was Minnesota Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert.
He added that Ben Simmons, who like O’Neal played college basketball for LSU, is “another bum” as well. According to O’Neal, guys like Gobert and Simmons are ruining the pay scale for other players and he doesn’t “respect” guys like that.
“It’s also personal motivation. So now Rudy and Ben: Show me what you got. See, like, people don’t understand the things I’m saying no on TV, it’s the same things I said to my players as a leader. Young man … you’re getting paid $20 million, you ain’t doing nothing. Step your game up. The outsiders that what we know, they’re like ‘oh, he’s hating.’ No, I’m not hating. I’m telling you the truth. And if you don’t like the truth, that’s something you got to deal with. So now, it’s out there. It’s viral. So show me what you’re going to do, Rudy and Ben. Shut me up.”
Gobert responded to these comments from O’Neal, adding that he is “sad to see” O’Neal was “triggered by another man’s finances” despite all of Shaq’s personal accomplishments on and off the court.
But based on O’Neal’s comments to Salmon, it seems obvious that Shaq is simply trying to motivate Gobert to strive for greatness so that he be the best version of himself.
The clock is quickly running out on the Australian swingman’s chances.
Will this season with the Brooklyn Nets be Ben Simmons’ comeback — or his last playing pro basketball at the NBA level? The former top forward has seen a plethora of injuries coupled with a growing lack of confidence in his shot diminish his ability to stay on the floor in Brooklyn.
Will this be the season Simmons finally turns it around for good? Or is this a prelude to him taking his talents abroad — or to retirement from the game altogether? The clock is quickly running out on the Australian swingman’s chances to return to his former levels of play with the Nets.
The hosts of the “Locked on Nets” podcast, Adam Armbrecht and Doug Norrie, took some time on a recent episode of their show to dive deep into the Simmons situation and how they see it playing out this season.
Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say about the future of Ben in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons has great positional size, but he also has a shorter wingspan than New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart.
Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons has been unlucky with injuries over the past few seasons, but when he was with the Philadelphia 76ers, he was known as one of the better two-way players in the NBA. One of the main reasons for Simmons all-around ability is his great size for a point guard, but his wingspan is shorter that someone else who also plays in Brooklyn.
In a video posted on X, Overtime Maddy (social media manager for the Overtime League) plays a game with New York Liberty forward and reigning WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart. The game is that Maddy gives her a list of NBA players and Stewart has to guess which one she has a longer or shorter wingspan than.
As some context for this challenge, keep in mind that Stewart is listed at 6-foot-4, but has a wingspan of 7-foot-1, meaning that she has some long arms, especially for her frame. When Simmons’ name came up, Stewart understandably hesitated given that he is listed at 6-foot-10 and already appears to have long arms when watching him play.
To Stewart’s surprise, Maddy told her that she was the one with the longer wingspan and for those familiar with Simmons from the NBA Draft process, the numbers bear out. Per Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of Draftexpress.com all the way back in 2016, the duo wrote the following for Simmons’ scouting report:
“In terms of talent, there is quite a bit to like in Simmons’ profile. He has ample size at 6’10, and a sturdy frame at around 240 pounds. While he does not possess great length, with a wingspan measured between 6’11 and 7’0, he is one of the most fluid and coordinated athletes you’ll find.”
For context, Breanna Stewart is 6'4" with a 7'1" wingspan while Ben Simmons is 6'10" with a 7'0" wingspan. Stewart has some long arms. To be honest, I'm surprised that Simmons doesn't have a longer wingspan, but this was an interesting exercise. https://t.co/WMNFsrTmjq
In HoopsHype’s recent ranking of the top-30 point guards in the NBA, the Brooklyn Nets did not have a single player make the list.
The Brooklyn Nets are heading into their latest rebuild as they look to acquire their next superstar through the next few drafts thanks to their cache of first-round picks. As Brooklyn heads into the 2024-25 season, player development will be the most important theme, but that also means that the rankings aren’t kind for them right now.
In a recent ranking of the top-30 point guards by HoopsHype, the Nets did not have a single player that made the list. Despite having players like Dennis Schroder, who is playing pretty well for Germany right now, and Ben Simmons on the roster, neither player made the top-30 listing.
To be fair, HoopsHype does specify that the list involves them “using some projection and some analysis of what they have done over their most recent campaigns in the Association” as part of the evaluation process. While Schroder played well for the Toronto Raptors and the Nets last season, there are plenty of talented point guards in the NBA.
When it comes to Simmons, he played in just 15 games last season as he dealt with a variety of injuries, including a couple of nerve impingements that limited his athleticism. With that being said, it’s possible that this list could give both of those players some motivation for next season regardless of which direction the Nets head in.
Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks believes that Ben Simmons is set up for a big year as he seeks to get back from injury again.
Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons is one of the players that the franchise will be depending on next season as he will most likely be the starting point guard. Granted, Brooklyn could also start Dennis Schroder if he isn’t traded prior to the start of the 2024-25 season, but Simmons is heading into the last year of his contract.
“By all accounts, he feels good and is trending in the right direction,” Nets general manager Sean Marks recently said at the Las Vegas Summer League when asked about the status of Simmons. Simmons has been recovering from a nerve impingement in his back that prematurely ended his 2023-24 season, but it seems like he has turned a corner in his recovery.
“So, I know he wants to get out there. And, this is a big year,” Marks explained. “A big year for us because he’s part of a franchise, for sure. But, it’s a huge year for Ben. He’s young enough that he can get back to his old self.”
For Simmons, the main thing is remaining healthy as he has only played in 57 games in the past three seasons that he’s been with the team. With him slated to make $40.3 million this upcoming season, Simmons would do a lot of good for himself if he played in most of the game and played well as he there could be money at stake for him, whether he’s in Brooklyn next season or not.
Bernie Lee, the agent for Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons, recently called out ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith for his comments regarding Simmons.
The Brooklyn Nets have just finished participating in the Las Vegas Summer League and while Brooklyn did not have a chance to compete for the summer league championship, forward Jalen Wilson did win MVP for his efforts in the annual summer showcase. Now that the dust has settled on summer basketball for now, it’s a good time to catch up on something that happened in the beginning of the summer league.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith recently appeared on “The OGs Show” to discuss various topics with former NBA players in Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller and one of the talking points was something that Smith has discussed in the past. Eventually, the segment regarding players and their injuries came up and as it has happened in the past, Smith thought of Nets guard Ben Simmons as a player who he questions is really hurt.
“The only injury I’ve ever questioned is that (expletive) Ben Simmons,” Smith said. “He’s lucky that he’s not in prison for theft.” As most NBA fans know, Smith has been on the record plenty of times theorizing that Simmons’ lack of availability over the past few years has been due more to a lack of desire for the game of basketball than what any of his injuries have done to his body.
With that being said, it seems that Simmons’ agent, Bernie Lee, has had enough of Smith saying that his client doesn’t love basketball. When asked for comment from NetsDaily, Lee said that “Quite frankly.. I think Stephen A is an idiot and I only wish he still had his TV show so I could sit in his audience and voice my opinion to him while he attempted to do his job.”
For context, Smith has had this opinion of Simmons ever since his days with the Philadelphia 76ers which is when the injuries and mental health issues began for him amidst a budding NBA career. Simmons does not publicly address these kinds of matters often, but his agent took the chance to defend his client and call out one of the most prominent sports commentators in Smith.
Stephen A. Smith says Ben Simmons is lucky ‘he’s not in prison for robbery.’ 🤣😅
2/2. So we asked Bernie Lee, Simmons agent, for comment. His response: “Quite Frankly.. I think Stephen A is an idiot and I only wish he still had he’s TV show so I could sit in his audience and voice my opinion to him while he attempted to do his job…alas.. it got canceled…”
Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons turns 28 years old on Saturday and also heads into an important 2024-25 season for him and his career.
Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons has been one of the central figures of the Nets since he came to the team during the 2021-22 season as a result of the James Harden trade. While plenty of things have not gone Simmons’ way during his time in Brooklyn, he has something to celebrate for himself.
Simmons turns 28 years old on Saturday and as such, he will be entering an important year for him as he seeks to finally put together a healthy season for the Nets. Simmons is going into the last year of his max extension that he signed when he was with the Philadelphia 76ers and is slated to earn $40.3 million over the course of the 2024-25 campaign.
Simmons has played in just 57 games in his 2.5 seasons in Brooklyn due to a variety of injuries, including back injuries that seemingly has limited his availability over the past three seasons. This past season, he played in just 12 games mostly due to a nerve impingement in his back that sidelined him for most of the season and rendered him ineffective when on the court.
Based on all indications from people like general manager Sean Marks and Bernie Lee, Simmons’ agent, Simmons is prepared to have a healthy and productive season as he enters a contract year. In the 2023-24 season, Simmons averaged 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 58.1% from the field and 40.0% from the free-throw line.
