Free agent guard-forward Ben Simmons hasn’t had any momentum in finding another team. There have been reports of the New York Knicks being interested, but no progress has been made regarding a potential signing. On Wednesday, NBA insider Stefan Bondy reported that the former All-Star is considering retirement.
Simmons last played for the LA Clippers in the 2024-25 season. He was bought out by the Brooklyn Nets and subsequently signed by the Clippers for the remainder of the season. In LA, he appeared in 18 games, averaging a career-low 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
Bondy reported via the New York Post that the Australian former star has started to question his future in the NBA.
“Ben Simmons has generated interest from the Knicks and another team but is also questioning whether he even wants to continue playing in the NBA next season, The Post has learned,” Bondy wrote.
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Since the Philadelphia 76ers traded him, Simmons' career has gone downhill. He was never the same player after dealing with a lingering back injury.
The three-time All-Star was also blamed for the Sixers' blunder in the second-round series against the Atlanta Hawks in 2021. Simmons passed up an open look for a dunk and was criticized for it. Doc Rivers, Philly's coach at the time, didn't think he was a point guard capable of winning a championship.
This led to Philly's management trading him to the Nets in 2022. By the time he was playing for Brooklyn, however, his back injury had worsened, and he wasn't the same player.
Ben Simmons has earned over $203 million across his career. The most he earned was $123 million with the Nets, according to Spotrac.com.
If he does retire from the NBA, he'll finish his career as a three-time All-Star, two-time All-Defensive, a one-time All-NBA and the 2018 Rookie of the Year.
Fans react to Ben Simmons' potential career plans
Ben Simmons had one of the best potentials when he entered the league. However, his career didn't turn out the way most people expected. Now, he has an important decision to make about the next step in his career.
Here are some of what the fans said about Simmons.
"He’s felt this way for years," a fan said.
"That back injury/ surgery did him in. Very pedestrian without the athleticism he once had. No scoring bag to rely on," another fan offered a more detailed review of Ben Simmons.
"We’ve been known this since 2021," one fan said, bringing up his blunder in the postseason.
Other fans had harsher reactions to the news.
"This guy is one of the biggest failures in NBA history," someone commented.
"We aren’t sure if we want him to continue either," a comment read.
"Super lame. Greatest scam artist in the NBA," one fan said.
Despite how his career might end, Ben Simmons still made a lasting impact during his brief time in the league.
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