NBA: 4 Most highly anticipated returns (from injury) worth monitoring in 2024-25

Ben Simmons, Brooklyn Nets

This season could be a make-or-break year for Ben Simmons as far as his long-term basketball career is concerned. He will enter the final year of a five-year, $177 million dollar deal.

During his tenure with the Brooklyn Nets, he has appeared in only 57 games in two seasons as he put up averages of 6.5 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game, and 5.9 assists per contest. NBA teams will want a legitimate reason if they are willing to take a chance on signing Simmons once he becomes a free agent, especially after the soap opera drama he had when he was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers before they traded him.

There are many questions to be answered and many boxes that need to be checked if Simmons wants to create a strong market for himself. First and foremost, will he have a good attitude and be willing to do what's best for the team? What about his availability? Simmons has had an extensive injury history throughout his career, and with the Nets preparing to go through a rebuild, how will he view the situation?

The best-case scenario for Simmons is to be prepared to lead this team and prove that he is still one of the most dynamic players in the NBA. If he can take a rebuilding Nets team and can somewhat make them a competitive group, he can prove that he can still add value to a contending team.