Brooklyn Nets player Ben Simmons is preparing for the 2024-25 season, where he’ll make about $40 million. The team is currently in a rebuilding phase after trading Mikal Bridges, so there’s no plan to trade Simmons for now. However, some fake news came out, tricking people into believing he was being traded to the Warriors.
Rumors circulated online that the Nets had moved the 28-year-old to the Warriors, with a fake NBA insider, Aaron Rosenberg, reporting, “BREAKING: The Brooklyn Nets are trading Ben Simmons to the Golden State Warriors, sources tell ESPN.”
Interestingly, this account was a mimic of the real insider, Aaron Wojnarowski (@wojespn), who has 6.5 million Twitter followers. The fake post fooled many because it was styled just like Rosenberg’s usual reports.
Brooklyn Nets considered trading Ben Simmons during a rebuild
Rumors have previously suggested a potential trade for Ben Simmons. In July, HoopsHype said the Nets were thinking about trading Simmons as part of their rebuilding plan. Michael Scotto listed Simmons as a possible trade candidate along with other players.
Given Simmons’ injury concerns, this old report gave the impression that a trade might occur, which made the fake tweet from “Aaron Rosenberg” trick even more people. Besides, the fake account copied the style of the real ESPN reporter very well, making it seem more believable.
