MRI on Brooklyn Nets' Ben Simmons Comes Back Clean

The curious case of Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons balky knee continues. Speaking with reporters Friday, Nets coach Jacque Vaughn shared that the three-time All Star recently underwent an MRI on his left knee that didn't reveal any additional concerns.

Vaughn said that Simmons did get an MRI on his knee — but it showed nothing different than others recently. Nets hoping he can do a little bit more in practice and return to the floor soon.
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) February 3, 2023

Simmons has already missed three games with left knee soreness and appears poised to sit for Saturday's matchup against the Washington Wizards. The good news is he does not appear to be dealing with a serious injury. The bad news is that his discomfort does not have an obvious remedy.

Any seemingly innocuous but lingering injury Simmons endures will forever be met with scrutiny. He missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season with some combination of a back injury and a holdout. At the time, the Philadelphia 76ers and many pundits were skeptical of the severity of the injury. Though Simmons eventually underwent back surgery, the tension and lack of trust contributed to a cold war between the former first-overall pick and the 76ers, precipitating a trade to the Nets in 2022.

Simmons has missed a relatively modest 14 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.