NBA: Nets’ Ben Simmons done for regular season

Drafted No. 1 overall by Philadelphia in 2016, the 6-foot-10 Simmons (here guarding Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo), missed the entire 2016-17 season with a foot injury. He returned to win Rookie of the Year honors in 2017-18 and made three straight All-Star teams, starting in 2018-19, before falling out of favor in Philadelphia. FILE PHOTO/John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons is out for the regular season with lingering back trouble, the Brooklyn Nets announced Thursday.

The oft-injured guard appeared in just 15 games (12 starts) this season, averaging a career-low 6.1 points with 7.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 23.9 minutes per game. The three-time All-Star last played on Feb. 26.

“Ben Simmons will remain out for the remainder of the season while he consults with specialists and explores treatment options for the nerve impingement in his lower back,” the team said in a statement.

“Simmons, along with his representatives and Nets medical personnel, are currently in discussions with numerous experts to determine the course of action that will provide him with the best opportunity for long-term sustainable health.”

Simmons, 27, has a $40.3 million expiring contract for the 2024-25 season.

Drafted No. 1 overall by Philadelphia in 2016, the 6-foot-10 Australia native missed the entire 2016-17 season with a foot injury. He returned to win Rookie of the Year honors in 2017-18 and made three straight All-Star teams, starting in 2018-19, before falling out of favor in Philadelphia.

The Sixers traded him to Brooklyn in February 2022 in a deal for James Harden, but he did not play at all during the 2021-22 campaign.

Simmons appeared in 42 games for the Nets in 2022-23, averaging 6.9 points before back issues ended his season in mid-February. — Field Level Media/Reuters