Lewis: Nets have no interest in trading Ben Simmons ... and there’s little market anyway

One complicating factor in a number of trade scenarios is that a number of players mentioned can’t be dealt because they are on designated rookie extensions, players like Bam Adebayo of the Heat, Andrew Wiggins of the Warriors, Donovan Mitchell of the Jazz and Devin Booker of the Suns. Under the CBA, while teams are permitted to have two such players on their roster, only one of them may be acquired via trade and the Nets already got Ben Simmons at the deadline.

So would the Nets be willing to trade Simmons to clear the way to get someone like a Wiggins or a Mitchell? Brian Lewis writes that that’s not likely. The Nets apparently don’t have such interest.

The Nets obviously traded James Harden for Simmons, who’d inked a designated rookie max extension with the 76ers. Wiggins is on a similar deal...

That means the Nets either would have to loop a third team into the deal, and ship Wiggins there for some sort of return, or they would have to move off Simmons.

Privately, Nets sources have intimated the latter option is unlikely. And when asked if Simmons had gotten assurances he was in the Nets’ long-term plans and would not be traded, a source close to the young All-Star told The Post simply that “Ben is good.”

Moreover, there is no appreciable market for Simmons who of course sat out all of last season because he wanted to be traded, then had back surgery, per Lewis.

While he did have surgery and is on schedule to be ready for training camp, according to a source, one league source said there was no chatter about the Nets actively shopping Simmons, while two said there was little market for him.

Simmons is also the only player on the Nets roster, other than Durant and Kyrie Irving, who is under contract beyond 2023-24. His contract ends in 2024-25.

• A Nets trade of Kevin Durant to Warriors would be complicated - Brian Lewis - New York Post