NBA Rumors: Ben Simmons to be placed on trade market by Brooklyn Nets in offseason

After trading away Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons could be the next player out the door at the Brooklyn Nets. Since being acquired for James Harden last season, the former No.1 pick has not lived up to expectations.

During his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, Ben Simmons was an All-NBA-level talent. Even with some shortcomings in his game, he was a near-walking triple-double with elite defensive skills. However, that has not been the case with the Brooklyn Nets.

In 41 games with the Nets this season, Simmons is averaging 7.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. All of these averages are career-lows for the 26-year-old.

Following a chaotic trade deadline, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported that the team might look to move on from Simmons this summer.

"What becomes of Simmons and the final two years and nearly $80 million remaining on his contract after this season is of course another dynamic to monitor in Brooklyn. The Nets are widely expected to gauge what trade market could materialize for Simmons after his disappointing campaign comes to a close."

With two years left on his deal, Simmons is going to be a tough contract to trade. He is owed $37.8 million next year and then a whopping $40.3 million in 2024-25. A steep price tag to pay for someone averaging less than ten points per game.

The Brooklyn Nets will have a tough time trading Ben Simmons this offseason

Brooklyn Nets vs. Philadelphia 76ers

To put it simply, the Brooklyn Nets are going to have a hard time finding a team to willingly take on Ben Simmons. After sitting out all of last season, he looks like a shell of his old self. On top of that, he is owed max-player money for the next two years.

If the Nets want any shot at moving Simmons, they're going to have to part with some valuable assets. Luckily for the front office, they landed a massive haul of players and draft picks in exchange for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

With a rebuild in mind, Brooklyn should consider doing what they can to up Simmons' value in these final months of the season. As the lone "star" on the team, there is more opportunity to be had for a player like him. Also, the new-look roster is tailor-made for a player like him. Now surrounded by an array of three-point marksmen, he can utilize his high-level playmaking at the forward position.

It's safe to assume that Ben Simmons has close to no value right now. Brooklyn might be forced to part with key assets just to start fresh and get him off the books moving forward.