Nets guard Ben Simmons will miss the remainder of the season while he consults with specialists and explores treatment options for a nerve impingement in his lower back, the team announced on Thursday.
Simmons had initially been out due to what the team described as "left leg soreness," but his injury designation was changed earlier this week to "left lower back nerve impingement."
The nerve impingement is what caused Simmons to miss significant time earlier this season.
On Monday, Simmons' agent, Bernie Lee, shouldered the blame for Simmons' injury issues.
"We continue to try and find non-surgical options to allow Ben to move forward on a permanent basis and that is where this is my responsibility and I am (the) one to blame,” Lee told SNY.
"When I began working with Ben I made a commitment to him that I would do everything I could to find the right answers and specialists for him to work with (in order) to move forward from the issues he has been having. Clearly it hasn’t happened, and that's my responsibility."
Simmons played in just 15 games this season after playing in only 42 in 2022-23.
Simmons, who was acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers in the James Harden trade in 2022, has dealt with a litany of injuries over the last five seasons.
After playing in 57 games in 2019-20 and 58 games in 2020-21, Simmons did not play at all during the 2021-22 season due to a holdout and a back injury.
He is under contract through next season, with a cap hit of $40.33 million in 2024-25.