ORLANDO, Fla. — The Nets have refused to give any timeline for when Ben Simmons will take the court again. And while coach Steve Nash said he had “extremely high hopes” the All-Star will play this regular season, hope isn’t the same as confidence or even optimism.
Simmons, acquired from the 76ers in the James Harden trade, hasn’t played since last June 20, first holding out in Philadelphia and now ramping up since his trade to the Nets. A sore back, for the fourth time in two years, has hampered that process. Multiple orthopedic specialists have told The Post they doubt the All-Star would return to action by the April 10 regular-season finale.
“He’s just doing his rehab, strengthening and more so getting healthy. That side of things rather than core work right now,” Nash said before the Nets’ 150-108 rout of the Magic on Tuesday.
Asked how hopeful he was that Simmons will suit up in the regular season, Nash replied, “Extremely high hopes we see him in the regular season.”
With just 13 games left in the regular season, Simmons hasn’t even be cleared to run and sprint, much less to practice. His back is enough of an issue that the Nets didn’t have him travel on their last road trip to Boston and Charlotte, and he didn’t accompany them here, just to spare him the flights.
“The traveling is the one caveat where sometimes you’re weighing the cost benefit of him on airplanes and buses and different beds,” Nash said. “We’d love for him to travel, be with the team all the time; but we have to weigh that scenario as well.”
Seth Curry (left ankle soreness) and Cam Thomas (back contusion) were out against the Magic, but their status for the home game Wednesday versus the Mavericks remains undecided.
“It’s still day-to-day for sure,” Nash said. “I think we’ll have to decide [Wednesday] how they feel, how they look, and see if they’re ready to go.”
LaMarcus Aldridge (hip), Joe Harris (ankle), David Duke Jr. (G-League) and Day’Ron Sharpe (G-League) were all out.
Nic Claxton has taken over the backup center minutes with Aldridge sidelined, averaging 7.7 points on .667 shooting, five rebounds and 1.7 blocks in the previous three games before Tuesday, and going an aggregate +23.
“He had some great stretches in November, early December where he was really impacting our team, winning in the fourth quarter defensively, going to a switching defense,” Nash said. “He was outstanding for a stretch early in the year.
“And whether something is being unlocked here or he’s just returned to that level, he gives us such a nice alternative with his athleticism, his versatility defensively. And the pace where he can really play and fly into screens and roll offensively makes us very difficult to guard when he’s on the floor as well. So we expect him to play with that energy and that fire, and when he does he’s really effective.”
Barclays Center will host this year’s NBA Draft on June 23. … The New York Nets 1974 and 1976 ABA championship banners, which once hung in Nassau Coliseum, were sold at auction this past week for $7,878.
Nash said he had no idea bringing Kyrie Irving into the locker room Sunday was a finable offense.
“I didn’t know. It never crossed my mind,” Nash said. “I was unprepared for that event. Didn’t seem like a big deal.”