With the Brooklyn Nets continuing to tank, they parted ways with veteran guard Ben Simmons via buyout on Saturday, and he will sign with the Los Angeles Clippers after clearing waivers, per multiple reports.
The 28-year-old Simmons spent three seasons with the Nets after being acquired in the blockbuster trade that sent James Harden to the Philadephia 76ers.
Ultimately, his unsuccessful stint was headlined by injuries—most notably a lingering back issue—as he played just 90 games with the organization. He averaged a measly 6.5 points with 6.3 assists per game during his stay in Brooklyn.
A move to Los Angeles is a last-ditch effort to get the disappointing guard back on track. The Clippers have a history of maximizing buyout acquisitions of players who had been discarded by previous teams, most notably Russell Westbrook and Nicolas Batum. Simmons, despite the injuries, is still in what is considered to be his prime and can be one of the game’s better distributors when surrounded by the proper talent.
None of that talent existed in Brooklyn, though, as the Nets are already looking forward to potentially getting the No. 1 overall pick and, with it, a chance at drafting highly-touted Duke product Cooper Flagg. The problem is that the current squad has not gotten the memo of tanking any time recently. Brooklyn has won four of its last five games, which has bumped their record to 18-34 on the season and taken them nine games clear of the NBA-worst Washington Wizards, who have just nine wins this season.
Simmons is in the final year of his five-year, maximum contract and will be a free agent this summer. His buyout saved the Nets $1.1 million this season.
