NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Ben Simmons believes he is fully rebuilt.
Now the former All-Star is ready to help the Brooklyn Nets with their reconstruction.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just about getting better every day,鈥� Simmons said at the team鈥檚 practice facility in Brooklyn. 鈥淔or us, that鈥檚 coming in each day and getting better. And that鈥檚 going to show up in the wins. It鈥檚 going to show up in the losses. That takes time.鈥�
Time is something the Nets have in spades. A franchise that was among the league鈥檚 elite not long ago now finds itself beginning a top-to-bottom renovation under .
Following a dismal 2023-24 season in which Brooklyn (32-50) did not qualify for the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2017-18, general manager Sean Marks in a blockbuster trade. The Nets received four first-round draft picks (2025, 2027, 2029, 2031) and a 2025 second-round pick.
The Nets have five picks 鈥� four in the first round 鈥� in the June draft. Overall, Brooklyn has 25 picks over the next seven drafts. And that number is likely to rise as Brooklyn could move veterans Bojan Bogdanovic, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dennis Schroder and Cam Johnson.
鈥淚t鈥檚 part of the business,鈥� Finney-Smith said of the trade rumors.
It is also logical, considering the 2025 draft potentially has franchise-transformational talents in Duke power forward Cooper Flagg and the Rutgers tandem of small forward Ace Bailey and shooting guard Dylan Harper.
While Marks and owner Joe Tsai are focused on the future of the franchise, the present is likely to be painful as oddsmakers believe the Nets won鈥檛 win more than 20 games.
They are aware of the less-than-flattering critique.
鈥淓veryone that鈥檚 here, you鈥檝e had these conversations, and they鈥檙e grown conversations, they鈥檙e adult conversations, they鈥檙e serious conversations, and player to player we鈥檝e had them,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淎nd I think the one thing I can gather from it is that we鈥檙e all embracing this challenge.
"On one hand, you say we have low expectations then we just get to come out and play how we play without all that added stress that can come with that. So, for us, we can use it to our advantage. Use it as a chip on our shoulder and use it as a weight off of our shoulder to go and just play how we do."
That is where Simmons comes in.
The 28-year-old had to repair a lower-back nerve impingement that limited him to 15 games last season. Simmons, who rehabbed in Miami, said he has not had any setbacks since the procedure and believes he will be able to play at his accustomed level.
鈥淚 feel like when my body is healthy, that鈥檚 the confidence I always have,鈥� Simmons said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where I鈥檓 at right now. Physically, I feel great and ready to go. And so it鈥檚 just getting reps, game reps and playing.鈥�
But a healthy Simmons could cause the Nets to play themselves out of contention for Flagg, Bailey or Harper.
That doesn鈥檛 necessarily bother one of Brooklyn鈥檚 veterans.
鈥淚鈥檓 trying to win,鈥� Finney-Smith said. 鈥淚f Ben is Ben I feel like we (have) a good chance to win some games.鈥�
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AP NBA:
Denis P. Gorman, The Associated Press
