NEW YORK (AP) — Ben Simmons’ time with the Brooklyn Nets appears to be over. The No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft was not with the Nets for their game Friday night against the Miami Heat as the sides work toward a buyout of his contract.

It looked like Ben Simmons’ days as an NBA player were numbered. After missing the entire 2021-2022 season with a back injury following his trade from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Brooklyn Nets, Simmons returned to play only 43 games during the 2022-23 season and just 15 games during the 2023-24 campaign last year.

Simmons was already going to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, but his $40 million contract this season made it impossible for the Nets to trade him for even the tiniest