Most teams in the NBA finished their big moves of the offseason, and while there were fewer wild trades and unexpected signings compared years past, fun reunions took place with Damian Lillard and Chris Paul returning to their former franchises. But at this point in the offseason, with summer league over, all that’s left are some minor signings and trades to hold us over until training camps open in October.
There are still a slew of unsigned players which could make an impact on any number of teams, among them is Ben Simmons, who played for both the Nets and Clippers last season. Simmons has certainly had a wild NBA career, going from No. 1 overall pick in 2016, Rookie of the Year and rising to All-Star and All-Defensive status. But that career arc quickly cratered following the 2021 playoffs where his performance was highly scrutinized by those within the Philadelphia 76ers organization and fans alike. After sitting out the entirety of the 2021-22 season, he received a trade to the Nets, where injuries derailed any hope of him regaining that All-Star form. The Nets then waived him at the trade deadline, allowing him to sign with the Clippers, where he averaged 16 minutes in 18 games, and saw his minutes heavily reduced in L.A.’s first-round playoff exit against the Denver Nuggets.
Now, though, Simmons is an unrestricted free agent with interest from multiple teams. The Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and New York Knicks are among the teams interested in Simmons, per Marc Stein, as teams look to fill out point guard depth going into next season.
The Suns seek for a veteran ballhandler after losing Tyus Jones to the Magic. While Simmons’ production is well below what Jones brought to Phoenix last season, many teams could be willing to take a flier on in the hopes that he shows even a quarter of what he was in Philadelphia. At Simmons’ peak, he was an elite facilitator, his 6-foot-10 frame made him a nightmare for opposing guards and while he wasn’t going to rack up a ton of points, he’s the ideal player to have in your backcourt next to players who demand the ball.
Phoenix would be the perfect fit for Simmons because of the two high-usage guards they already employ in Devin Booker and Jalen Green. Obviously he wouldn’t start, but having him come off the bench to run the second unit, and pairing him with Booker or Green where both can feed off Simmons’ high IQ would be an ideal way of using Simmons without him needing to do too much.
The same goes for any of the other teams mentioned on that list. Simmons could come in off the bench and set the table on offense, and go all out on the defensive side of the ball. In theory, having Simmons on the roster for a cheap deal sounds like it’s a low risk, high reward situation. But his injury history, mixed with his tendency to be really ineffective on both sides of the ball for long periods of time, make it so that any team signing Simmons really has to set their expectations incredibly low. But at just 28 years old, and with the resume he built early in his career, there’s still going to be teams willing to take on Simmons with hopes that they’ll be the ones who can unlock that star power he showed with the Sixers.
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