Nets have a date in mind for Ben Simmons' return from injury

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Ben Simmons could be returning to the Brooklyn Nets from a back injury. The former three-time all-star may be coming back as early as Monday's game against the Utah Jazz on Jan. 29.

The veteran has missed the majority of the season with a back injury that also caused him to miss a good chunk of games last season.

Simmons is running out of time in the NBA as he continues to struggle. He is currently a massive contract extension that was given a couple of years ago which is a big reason why he is still in the league. With that in mind, what can Simmons do to turn his career around?

Does Ben Simmons have any chance of turning his career around?

Unfortunately, it's hard to see a world where Simmons can go back to his All-Star or even role-player status at this point. The veteran will likely be traded at next season's trade deadline because he has a giant expiring contract. The Nets have tons of draft picks and could be arming themselves to use Simmons' expiring deal for the next available superstar who requests a trade.

Unless a miracle happens and Simmons is able to turn his career around in Brooklyn, his best shot to keep playing in the NBA may be him turning into a great locker-room presence. He may get sparing minutes as a backup defensive specialist but his career is most likely over unless he is able to expand his offensive game.

To be honest, there is no shame in having the type of career that Simmons has had up to this point. Getting to the All-Star game three times is something that only a handful of people on this planet have done if you consider the amount of humans that are currently on Earth. No matter what happens to Simmons over the next three years, the ball player has a lot to be proud of.