Report: Simmons finalizing buyout with Nets
Brooklyn Nets veteran Ben Simmons is finalizing a contract buyout to enter free agency, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania and Brian Windhorst.
Simmons will meet with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers, Charania and Windhorst add. He'll also meet with the Houston Rockets, sources told NBA insider Chris Haynes.
The 28-year-old has averaged 6.2 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.2 rebounds this season.
Simmons joined the Nets in 2022 in the James Harden trade. He previously spent four seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, winning Rookie of the Year, making two All-Star games, and winning All-NBA third-team honors in 2020.
He missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season due to a holdout and back injury.
Since joining Brooklyn, he's averaged 6.5 points, 6.3 assists, 6.2 rebounds, and a steal in 90 games spanning almost three years.
The Nets are 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 17-34 record.