LaMarcus Aldridge has retired from the NBA for the second time.

"In the words of TB12, you only get one big, emotional retirement... so, on that note...I'm thankful for all the memories, family and friends I made throughout my career," Aldridge tweeted. "It was one hell of a ride and I enjoyed every min!"

Aldridge briefly retired during the 2020-21 season after experiencing an irregular heartbeat while a member of the Brooklyn Nets. Aldridge returned to the Nets and appeared in 47 games last season.

The Brooklyn Nets have announced they will shut down Ben Simmons for the remainder of the season. 

Simmons hasn't played since the Nets' final game before the All-Star break last month because of a nerve issue in his back. 

Simmons sat out all of last season and has missed large portions of this season due to knee and back injuries. 

Simmons has another two years remaining on his contract, paying him $37.8 million in 2023-24 and $40.3 million in 2024-25.

Mikal Bridges has the NBA's longest active consecutive game streak at 385 and counting. Bridges is one of just four players on pace to play in 82 games. Bridges also never missed a game during his three seasons at Villanova. 

“Always just been blessed,” Bridges told The Athletic. “I think my body might get hurt, heals a little faster. Everybody’s body is a little different, but my body will hurt and next day the swelling will go way down. And every time I did get hurt it’s been in the preseason or offseason, I was like in high school or stuff so that kind of helps as well.”

Bridges recently played in just one quarter in a loss at the Milwaukee Bucks, which was the front end of a road back-to-back.

Jacque Vaughn called the light workload for Bridges that night “a negotiation tactic.” 

“There is a balance to saying I want you to play but I’m also going to protect you at this time of the year with some nagging injuries,” Vaughn said.

Bridges isn't against load management, but believes it can get excessive. 

“There’s sides,” Bridges said. “There’s 82 (games)… people coming off injuries, we play so much, we’re traveling — I get it health-wise. I sometimes think in perspective just resting just because … I don’t think so. I just feel like if it’s injury-wise that makes the most sense obviously you’re not going to force somebody to play injured. Coming off injury, you want to calm it down. I think if the guy is fully healthy, I don’t think so.”

Bridges doesn't believe he will catch A.C. Green's record of 1,192 straight games, which went from 1986 to 20021.

“I don’t think I’m going to make it there,” Bridges said. “That’s a lot of games. That’s untouchable.”

Bridges is valuing longevity over attendance. 

“I just want to play every game,” Bridges said. “That’s my thing. Even if I’m banged up and I’m hurt a little bit, if I feel like I can go, I’m gonna go.”

The Brooklyn Nets have signed center Moses Brown to a second 10-day contract. Brown appeared in one game for Brooklyn on his first 10-day deal.

The Nets added Brown for additional frontcourt depth behind Nic Claxton. Following the trade deadline, Claxton and second-year player Day'Ron Sharpe were the only centers Brooklyn's roster.

Following this second 10-day deal, the Nets would have to sign Brown for the remainder of the regular season to keep him. Players are limited to signing only two 10-day contracts with one team.

Brooklyn Nets forward Ben Simmons was recently diagnosed with a nerve impingement in his back. That injury will keep him out indefinitely, but Nets coach Jacque Vaughn is being realistic about Simmons' timeline to return.

“For me as a coach, there’s some things that I can control, some things that I can’t control,” Vaughn said. “What I can’t control is the impingement. What I can control is getting this group ready to play. And then in all honesty, the realism that he’s probably not going to join us for the rest of the year ... certainty will come once he continues to be looked at by specialists.”

After missing all of last season due to a holdout with the Philadelphia 76ers and subsequent back injury, Simmons appeared in 42 games for the Nets this season. He averaged career-lows across the board with 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game.

Ben Simmons has been diagnosed with a nerve impingement in his back.

Simmons hasn't played since the Brooklyn Nets' final game before the All-Star break in February with a combination of left knee and back soreness. 

Jacque Vaughn insisted there had been "zero" discussions about shutting down Simmons for the season at that point.

"Definitely operating under that belief," Vaughn said, when asked directly if he's expecting Simmons to play again this season. "There's zero discussions about him not playing. We expect him to be back, waiting for him to be back, watching the last Sacramento game, it was great to see him and his physicality versus [Kings All-Star Domantas] Sabonis last time, so looking forward to seeing that again, for sure."

Simmons has another two years remaining on his contract, paying him $37.8 million in 2023-24 and 40.3 million in 2024-25.

Ben Simmons is currently practicing in an individual setting, according to Jacque Vaughn.

“It is not with teammates, and so I’ll say that piece of it. He hasn’t scripted with our group — first group, second group or anything of that nature,” said Vaughn on Thursday.

Simmons has now missed 15 straight games due to left knee and back soreness.

With no return timeline, Vaughn added that he hasn't thought about Simmons' potential comeback this season.

"I don’t even wanna look that far ahead. Ben’s in the same position he was the last time I talked to you [on Tuesday]. Nothing further to comment on. I don’t think I can give you anything else. There’s nothing to add, really," said Vaughn.

The Boston Celtics reportedly discussed a trade with the Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Durant last offseason with a package built around Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and future draft picks. Jayson Tatum and Durant are friends dating back to their time together with Team USA in the Olympics. 

Brown commented on the trade discussions in an interview with Logan Murdock of The Ringer.

“[KD] and JT are friends. They was working out together and whatnot,” Brown said. “So, I wasn’t sure what the energy was. I wasn’t sure what the direction of the organization was.”

Brown placed a three-way call to Stevens and Tatum. During that discussion, Stevens says he assured Brown that he wouldn't be traded.

“You just have to have a direct conversation,” Stevens tells The Ringer of the meeting. “And you just have to be able to say, ‘This is what’s real. This is where we are. Obviously, you and Jayson are the two guys that we’ve built the whole roster around. And our every expectation is for us to come and compete together and try to be two games better than we were last year.’”

“Once we all got together and kind of talked it through, we all left on the same page," Brown said. "But the actions that was taking place during that time, it just didn’t seem like that was the direction that the organization was going in. I don’t know. It was hard to tell, at least.”

Ben Simmons is expected to hire Bernie Lee as his new agent, sources told Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

The move comes after the news that Simmons and Klutch Sports parted ways on Friday. 

Lee represents several NBA players, including Jimmy Butler, Justin Holiday and Kris Dunn.

Ben Simmons and Klutch Sports have mutually agreed to part ways, sources tell ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.

Rich Paul had represented Simmons since he entered the NBA in 2016.

Klutch negotiated his five-year, $177 million extension with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019.

“He just needed a fresh start,” a source said of Simmons.