The Brooklyn Nets don’t plan on using Ben Simmons for either leg of back-to-backs in the near future.

Head coach Jordi Fernández told reporters that the veteran guard will be out Tuesday night against the Denver Nuggets, while the Nets will turn around and play the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. This is the plan the team will follow until it says otherwise.

Persistent back injuries caused Simmons to miss the entire 2022-2023 season and then played in just 57 combined games over the next two seasons. He underwent a microscopic partial discectomy in March, his second back procedure in three years.

The NBA’s rest policy includes exceptions that allow “star” players to miss games without breaking the rules. A documented injury history is one of those exceptions, which Simmons would easily qualify for.

Most of all, Fernández’s comments reinforce how the 28-year-old is simply a sunk prize for Brooklyn at this point.

Fans have long since given up on the idea that Simmons would become a dynamic two-way force, one who ever made three straight All-Star Games again. Since joining the Nets, he has struggled to stay healthy, and his production remains far behind his Philadelphia 76ers days. He averaged 6.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists.

Even more troubling than the raw numbers, Simmons still looks far too reserved for someone with his size and skill set. There is simply no reason for him to continue to fall outside of shot attempts in the paint like this.

Simmons is headed to free agency this offseason and it will be fascinating to see what his market looks like. At this rate, there may not be many takers.