Ben Simmons waived by the Nets after the team and former No. 1 pick agree to a buyout

NEW YORK (AP) — Ben Simmons was waived by the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday after the team agreed to a buyout with the last remaining link to a failed era of building around All-Stars.

The No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft was not with the Nets for their victory over the Miami Heat on Friday night as the sides worked on completing the deal.

Coach Jordi Fernandez praised Simmons before the game for working his way back from a series of injuries that caused such an ineffective time in Brooklyn.

“I know that not playing for a season and then limited games another season and now fighting his way back, playing I think it was a little over 20 minutes or mid-20s,” said Fernandez, in his first season with the Nets. “So that’s pretty good. Really good to see that after going through a surgery, now being back playing basketball."

But it's far less than the Nets hoped when they acquired the three-time All-Star in a trade for James Harden at the 2022 trade deadline. He was never able to join Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the court that season after hurting his back trying to work his way back into shape after sitting out the first half of that season in Philadelphia.

The injury problems, mostly due to lower back nerve damage, continued to limit Simmons. He made it through just half of the 2022-23 season, during which Durant and Irving were both traded, and played only 15 games last season.

Simmons played in 33 of the Nets' 52 games this season, starting 24, and averaged 6.2 points and 6.9 assists.

Simmons is making $40 million this season and would be a free agent afterward. ESPN reported that he intends to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers for the rest of this season.

Clippers president of basketball operation Lawrence Frank said before Saturday night's game against the Utah Jazz that his team still had a couple moves to make, but did not mention Simmons since he hasn't cleared waivers.

“We’ve been fortunate in the buyout market. You look at Nico (Batum), Reggie Jackson and Russ (Russell Westbrook), those guys had a huge impact," Frank said. "We’re fortunate that we’ve always been a destination for buyout guys. Guys love playing for (coach Tyronn Lue), they’ve fallen in love with the franchise. So we’ll look at the buyout market and see how we can address some additional needs that we have.”

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Sports writer Joe Reedy in Inglewood, California, contributed to this report.

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