Impact Following Thursday's blockbuster trade that sent him to Brooklyn, Simmons has joined his new team, but because he hasn't been part of a team structure since taking part in one training camp practice with the 76ers, he'll need some time to get back up to full speed. General manager Sean Marks was unwilling to speculate Friday when asked when Simmons might make his team debut, but the Nets may prefer to hold him out through the All-Star break to allow the 25-year-old to get some more practice reps under his belt. Whenever he's cleared to make his Brooklyn debut, Simmons will likely be tasked with taking on a high-volume, big-minute role for the reeling Nets, who have lost 11 games in a row to drop to 29-27 overall. Due to his vaccination status, co-star Kyrie Irving is eligible to play in only eight of the Nets' remaining 26 regular-season games, while Kevin Durant (knee) is making progress but may not be available immediately after the All-Star break.
FEBRUARY 13, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
