Nets’ Simmons to have surgery for herniated disk in back
NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets say Ben Simmons will have surgery to alleviate pain in his back caused by a herniated disk. The procedure will be done Thursday. The Nets said it was decided upon after consultation with multiple back specialists. Simmons sat out this entire season. The No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft didn’t play in Philadelphia after requesting a trade, citing mental health concerns. After he was dealt to Brooklyn in February in a deal for James Harden, he was bothered by the back while trying to rebuild his conditioning. Simmons will have a microdiscectomy, in which a small fragment of the disk is removed.