Ex-NBA player suggests Ben Simmons be paid the league’s veteran minimum going forward

Chandler Parsons announced his retirement from the NBA last year, but he did not hold back when he was asked to give his opinion about a player still in the league.

During an appearance on FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back,” Parsons suggested that Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons should be paid the league minimum. 

In 2019, Simmons signed a five-year, $170 million max contract with the 76ers. But Parsons predicted that, sooner or later, Simmons will be bought out of his massive deal and spend the rest of his career making the league minimum. 

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Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons before a game against the New York Knicks Feb.13, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

Parsons did acknowledge the talent the 26-year-old Simmons has displayed from time to time over his career. The problem is Simmons’ lack of consistency, Parsons said.

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Parsons also thinks Simmons is struggling to overcome a mental block, one of the reasons Simmons’ level of play has dropped off.

Simmons missed the entire 2021-2022 season for what he said were mental health reasons, and he missed a significant amount of games due to injury since joining Brooklyn. 

Simmons has been trying to silence critics who believe he is failing to live up to the money he’s making. But those voices grew louder during a game last month against the Knicks.

In the first quarter, Cam Johnson passed to Simmons, who had a lane to the basket. Instead of finishing at the hoop, he passed the ball to Nic Claxton, who missed the shot.

The play brought back memories of the infamous moment when Simmons passed up a wide-open dunk in the fourth quarter of Game 7 against the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals

Ben Simmons of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans Oct. 19, 2022, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

It’s hard to argue with Parsons. Simmons has been a shell of himself this season when he plays.

He has somehow gone from one of the brightest young stars in the league to barely playable in just a few years. He is averaging a career-low 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 26.3 minutes while appearing in 42 games.

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Simmons is still owed over $78 million over the next two years. The Nets could explore a buyout as Parsons suggested.