The topic of Ben Simmons went about as well as one could ask for at the 2023 NBA Draft.
Simmons’ name came up when the Nets were in between their two picks at No. 21 and 22 in the first round of the draft.
ESPN’s Malika Andrews asked analyst J.J. Redick about the point guard after his Brooklyn roster breakdown as they discussed the team’s needs.
Redick, who was teammates with Simmons for three years with the 76ers, paused awkwardly before responding.
“Yeah, I will discuss Ben Simmons when he’s back on the basketball court,” Redick said.
That, of course, is always the question around the former No. 1 pick.
Simmons played in 42 games this past season after missing his first year-plus with the Nets after they acquired him at the 2022 NBA trade deadline.
Simmons, 26, dealt with knee and back issues for much of the season and played his last game of the season on Feb. 15.
Even when on the court, he was often criticized for a reluctance to shoot — even from close range.
“I still believe in him,” said Redick, certainly representing the minority when it comes to the league’s feelings on the Australian.
There is a bit of hope when it comes to Simmons, though, as he posted photos of himself working out in Miami on Instagram last week.
“Just chumming the water,” a bulked-up Simmons wrote as the caption.
The Nets went on to draft Alabama’s Noah Clowney at No. 21 and Duke’s Dariq Whitehead at No. 22.
“We didn’t see the need to do that,” GM Sean Marks said of the decision not to trade up as had been speculated ahead of the draft.
“As the draft unfolded, we’re very, very happy with how it how it played out.”
Clowney and Whitehead are the newest additions to the Nets rebuild, which is currently centered around budding star Mikal Bridges.
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The Nets tore down their roster last season when they traded Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving away ahead of the trade deadline.
Simmons, a three-time All-Star, was supposed be the third member of that Big 3.
For now, he is surrounded by doubts and reduced to an awkward draft moment.