3 Nets that needed to be traded at the deadline that weren't

The Brooklyn Nets continue to struggle this season, as they've dropped to 21-33 and just recently endured an embarrassing 50-point loss to the Boston Celtics in their final game heading into the All-Star break.

To put it rather bluntly, 2023-24 has been a very upsetting year for Nets fans. Not only has this been due to the inconsistencies of this young roster, but also the poor decision-making leading up to and at the trade deadline.

With the February 8 cutoff coming to a close nearly two weeks ago, Brooklyn's roster doesn't look all that different than it did before its passing.

Sure, they decided to send Spencer Dinwiddie to the Raptors in exchange for a package headlined by Dennis Schroder and worked out a deal to acquire Keita Bates-Diop, but with these being the biggest moves made by the franchise it's safe to say the deadline was far from exciting.

Heading into the mid-season mayhem, fans and pundits alike believed there were a few specific moves that needed to be made, and, more specifically, tabbed several specific players as being individuals that needed to be traded.

Here are a few names that should have been moved ahead of the February deadline that, ultimately, were not.

3. Ben Simmons

Where do we even begin to start with this one?

Because he's been sidelined for most of his tenure with the Nets and considering the fact that he still cannot score three jump shots in a row, Ben Simmons is clearly someone this team would have likely loved to have parted ways with at this year's deadline.

This season alone, he's only managed to suit up in 12 games and has averaged 6.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 6.5 assists on 59.4 percent shooting from the floor.

Are these counting stats bad? Not necessarily.

Unfortunately for Simmons, the issue isn't linked to his numbers on their own but, rather, to the stats for the position he plays and the money he's making.

A point guard in the modern game cannot be averaging less than 7 points per game. Having a floor general who is timid when it comes to scoring is not a player a young team can rely on.

Simmons could have easily been traded for another point guard who is more reliable offensively and not injury-prone.

Possible replacement options for Ben Simmons:

• Sign Isiah Thomas out free agency (Nets get a revamp in their offensive with a veteran leading the way)

• Acquire Patty Mills from Atlanta (Hawks get a strong defensive guard, Nets receive a veteran scorer)