Ben Simmons undergoes second back surgery

Guard/forward Ben Simmons underwent a successful microscopic partial discectomy on Thursday to alleviate the nerve impingement in his lower left back, the Nets announced in a press release.

The former No. 1 overall pick is expected to fully recover before training camp in the fall, the team added.

This is the second time Simmons has undergone back surgery in the past two years. His first surgery, a microdiscectomy back in April 2022, was to alleviate the pain and symptoms from a herniated disc on the right side of his spine.

A former three-time All-Star and two-time All-Defensive team member who also made the All-NBA Third Team in 2019-20, injuries have derailed Simmons’ career the past few seasons. After a lengthy holdout with Philadelphia, he was traded to Brooklyn in February 2022 but never played for the Nets in 2021-22.

Last season, Simmons averaged 6.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 6.1 APG and 1.3 SPG in 42 games (26.3 MPG), later admitting he hadn’t fully recovered from his first back surgery. Entering the 2023-24 campaign, the 27-year-old was far more optimistic, but was limited to just 15 games (23.9 MPG) after sustaining the nerve impingement in early November. He averaged 6.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 5.7 APG in those appearances.

Simmons was officially shut down for the season a week ago as he was consulting with specialists and considering treatment options for the nerve impingement in his lower back. It was decided that undergoing another surgery was the best course of action.

Simmons will enter the final year of his current maximum salary contract in 2024-25. He’s on track to earn $40,338,144 before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency.