Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons intends to make his long-awaited season and team debut Monday against the Boston Celtics for Game 4, sources told The Athletic's Shams Charania.
Simmons' debut is reportedly contingent on his rehab remaining on course.
The 25-year-old has been out with a back injury since being acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers at the trade deadline. He sat out the first half of the season in Philadelphia due to mental health concerns.
Nets head coach Steve Nash said before Wednesday's Game 2 that the team would wait until Simmons, who was just cleared for contact in practice earlier this week, says he feels physically prepared to play again.
"There's no other way than him to say, 'I'm ready.' Especially after an absence this long," Nash said. "So, whenever he is ready, it's going to have to be on him to say, 'I feel comfortable. I feel ready to go. I want to play and I want to contribute.'
"We can't push him places when you have been out this long. It's got to be something where he is definitely comfortable and ready to play."
Brooklyn is down 2-0 in its series to Boston after dropping Game 2 on the road Wednesday. If the Nets lose Game 3 Saturday, Simmons' reported debut would come with their season on the line.
While he may not have enough time to establish cohesion on offense with the rest of the Nets, the former Rookie of the Year could be a valuable reinforcement defensively against a Celtics squad scoring an approximate 118 points per 100 possessions in the series so far - the third-highest offensive rating among this year's playoff teams.
Simmons tallied 15.9 points, 8.1 assists, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game across four seasons with the 76ers, racking up three All-Star nominations and two first-team All-Defensive selections.
