Before back injuries robbed him of his eye-popping athletic ability, Ben Simmons was a legitimate star in this league with the Philadelphia 76ers. The former No. 1 pick of the 2016 draft was a 3-time All-Star with the Sixers and was named to the All-Defensive Team twice along with an All-NBA Third Team appearance.
Overall, Simmons averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists across his four seasons in Philadelphia. Of course, it was an ugly exit with the Sixers that included a trade request and a holdout as he did not want to be a part of the team anymore heading into the 2021-22 season. The Sixers then sent him to the Brooklyn Nets in the James Harden deal of 2022.
Simmons finished the 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Clippers and he is currently in free agency as he looks for his next basketball home. Per Marc Stein via his substack, the former All-Star has plenty of teams interested in his services:
League sources say that the Suns have also had some recent dialogue with former All-Star Ben Simmons, who I’m told has drawn interest since free agency began from Boston, New York and Sacramento.
Simmons is not the same athletic marvel he once was, but it’s obvious that he can still help in some sort of way. He is somebody who can still provide some help on the defensive end along with being a presence on the glass. One has to wonder if he will be able to find a home for the 2025-26 season and continue his NBA career.