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The Brooklyn Nets are headed into a full rebuild now that they have traded Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks, triggering a major franchise reset. With Brooklyn expected to be one of the worst teams in the NBA following the trade of Bridges, there is one veteran forward on the team who believes differently.
Nets forward Cam Johnson recently said to the media at the Las Vegas Summer League that Brooklyn could surprise some people if they are able to get a healthy Ben Simmons. What makes Johnson’s statement interesting is that he may be on the team next season to see what could happen, but he is also considered a trade candidate because of the team going into a rebuild.
“We get a healthy Ben (Simmons) back, and with the stuff we were able to do with him in the lineup last year, I think there’s a lot of potential,” Johnson said (h/t to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). While most would agree that the Nets are projected to be one of the worst teams in the league because of the lack of star power, but a healthy Simmons is something that has proved to be elusive for him for the past few years.
Simmons, 27, has played in just 57 games in his 2.5 seasons with Brooklyn since coming over as part of the James Harden trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. Simmons has dealt with a variety of injuries, but the back ailments have slowed him down the most as he appears to have been robbed of the elite athleticism that made him an All-Star with the 76ers.
Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson: “We get a healthy Ben (Simmons) back, and with the stuff we were able to do with him in the lineup last year, I think there’s a lot of potential.” pic.twitter.com/0UzEARCyeH
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 14, 2024