Ben Simmons is finally on track to make his debut this season after being traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Brooklyn Nets. When exactly the All-Star will suit up for the first time in 2022, however, remains uncertain.

At his first press conference as a Net on Tuesday, Simmons told reporters that he is starting to “ramp it up” in preparation for playing an NBA game. Simmons couldn’t give a date for his return to NBA action, though it will almost certainly come after the All-Star break.

“Physically, over the last six months I’ve been working, so I feel physically pretty good,” Simmons said. “Mentally, I’m getting there. It’s an ongoing thing to stay on top of that. But I think I’m headed in the right direction.”

Brooklyn is scheduled to host the Boston Celtics on Feb. 24 in its first game following the break. The Nets will play six more games after that matchup before visiting Simmons’ old team.

The 76ers will host the Nets on March 10 in the first meeting between the rivals since executing their blockbuster deal at the trade deadline. Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round draft picks were sent to Brooklyn in exchange for James Harden and Paul Millsap.

Harden won’t play for Philadelphia until after Sunday’s All-Star Game as he recovers from a hamstring injury. The guard is likely to be available when the 76ers play the Nets.

Simmons told reporters that he hopes to be ready for the March 10 contest.

“I wanted to be who I am, get back to playing basketball at that level, and being myself,” Simmons said, regarding his trade demand from Philadelphia. “So that’s something I’ve been dealing with, and it wasn’t about the fans, coaches or comments made by anybody.

"It was just a personal thing for me that was earlier than that [Eastern Conference semifinals] series that I was dealing with. That organization knew that. So, it was something I continued to deal with, and I’m getting there, and getting to the right place to get back on the floor.”

Simmons last played in Game 7 of the 2021 conference semifinals on June 20. The 25-year-old scored just five points, averaging 9.9 points for the series.

After visiting Philadelphia, Brooklyn will only have 15 regular-season games left. The Nets enter the All-Star break out of the playoff picture.

Kevin Durant has not played since Jan. 15 because of a hamstring injury. Kyrie Irving is still not eligible to play in home games.

Brooklyn has been the NBA championship favorite all season, a fact that remains unchanged after the Simmons-for-Harden swap.

Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers
Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers Getty Images | Mitchell Leff
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