10 Players the Nets may replace Ben Simmons with by the trade deadline
By Tyler Watts
The Brooklyn Nets believe they can be a contender. Ben Simmons hopes to have a bounce-back year and make the squad one of this season’s shocking teams. His minutes are over 30 and his playmaking has returned, but fans still have not seen the three-time All-Star aggressively looking to score. Could Brooklyn look to shop Simmons in hopes of improving their playoff odds?
The Nets believe Mikal Bridges is an All-Star. They put depth around him, but Brooklyn lacks top-end talent. The franchise is still recovering from the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving era where nothing went as planned. They held onto their playoff spot last season after both stars departed and hope to return in 2024.
The Nets will explore the trade market before February’s deadline, but can they find a taker for Ben Simmons? He will be a $40.3 million expiring contract next season, so a rebuilding team may have interest if Brooklyn is willing to offer significant draft capital. The Nets want to win, and here are ten options they could try to acquire to improve their roster with Ben Simmons heading out to match salary.
10. Tyler Herro
The Nets were rumored to be interested in Tyler Herro during the Damian Lillard saga. Portland had zero interest in Herro, and Brooklyn was discussed as a potential third team. None of it happened as Lillard was traded to Milwaukee, but the Nets’ interest in the scoring guard likely remains.
The Heat would have no desire to land Ben Simmons, but this too could be a three-team deal. Miami gets the star they have been searching for with Tyler Herro heading to Brooklyn and the third team taking Ben Simmons and draft capital. If some team decides to sell a star and rebuild, it could be a win-win-win trade.
The market could be extremely active before the deadline, and Tyler Herro won’t be the only player of interest to hit the block.