Former Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons has had a tough time finding a new home for the 2025-26 season after spending the previous year with the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers. Simmons averaged only 5.0 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in 51 games with Brooklyn and LA.
Those numbers are a far cry from his days with the Sixers when he was named an All-Star three times and made the All-NBA Third Team in 2020. It appears that back injuries have completely robbed him of his athletic ability and he is not the same impactful player he once was.
Therefore, there isn’t much of a market for Simmons in free agency. The New York Knicks reportedly offered Simmons a minimum deal, but the former No. 1 overall pick declined the deal and per national insider Marc Stein, his agent, Bernie Lee, dropped him afterward.
Stefan Bondy of the NY Post has more details of why it happened:
A source said that decision occurred after the point guard sent signals that he wasn’t interested in whatever came from his agent’s conversations with the Knicks.
There have been rumblings that Simmons is seriously considering retirement. It would be an absolute shame to see his career end this way when considering what he was able to accomplish during his time with the Sixers. Most will look at his lack of a jumper, but there was no denying the fact that he was one of the better players in the league before all of the injuries and the drama of the 2021 offseason.