Brooklyn Nets Clear Ben Simmons for Return in Tuesday's Game Against Phoenix Suns

The Brooklyn Nets have had a whirlwind few days, but at least they'll have Ben Simmons back for Tuesday night's game against the Phoenix Suns. The three-time All Star was left off the Nets Injury Report, indicating he's ready to return after a five-game absence.

Status Report for tonight's game vs. Phoenix pic.twitter.com/mh87eU29VB
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) February 7, 2023

Simmons has been out since January 26th with left knee soreness. He has missed a relatively modest 16 games this season, but he presents a complicated situation for the Nets. His enormous profile relative to his modest production (7.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, and 6.4 apg) makes him a constant subject of speculation and conversation, and he appears to already be regressing as an asset at only 26 years old. He could be a surprise name to watch at the trade deadline.

The Nets are a franchise in flux. The team traded mercurial superstar Kyrie Irving earlier this week, and it remains unclear whether they intend to pursue a rebuild or contention ahead of the February 9th trade deadline. At 32-21, they're fifth in the Eastern Conference and still roster one of the NBA's very best players in Kevin Durant, but they're a worse team than they were a week ago. Perhaps more than any other franchise, they'll be a team to watch in the coming days.