nets guard Ben Simmons and agent Rich Paul met with the team leadership, including the general manager Sean Markson Monday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via twitter).
As Wojnarowski explains, the goal of the meeting was to determine how the two sides will continue to address the “physical and mental hurdles” that will need to be overcome to get Simmons back on the pitch. During the sitdown, Simmons reiterated his desire to play for the Nets. tweets Wojnarowski.
Simmons, who has been dealing with mental health issues and a back injury this season, had reportedly planned to make his Brooklyn debut in Game 4 on Monday after missing the entire season up to that point. However, the Nets announced on Sunday that he had been ruled out for that game – Simmons appeared to have suffered from back pain in the final stages of his start-up process.
According to Wojnarowski (via twitter), the Nets believe Simmons has made progress in his efforts to mentally and physically prepare for the game, but recognize there is still work to be done.
Nets head coach addressing Simmons’ status on Monday Steve Nash suggested it wasn’t the team that released those reports of the three-time All-Star preparing to play in Game 4.
“I mean, I didn’t really expect him to play[on Monday],” Nash said, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Like we’ve been saying all along, he’s trying to improve, he’s working on it. Reports that he was playing came from outside, I don’t know where that came from. So we kind of stick with what we’ve always said; He’s still building, still working through things, still trying to get strong enough and put himself in a position to play.
Nash didn’t rule out the possibility that Simmons could play later in the series if the Nets win on Monday, although a return from Game 5 in Boston looks unlikely.
For what it’s worth, Simmons is not scheduled to undergo another MRI on his back, according to Lewis, who says both Nash and a source close to the 25-year-old have said he shouldn’t have surgery during the offseason address the injury.