Ben Simmons Drawing Interest From Multiple NBA Teams Ahead of Comeback Bid
Ben Simmons is drawing interest from multiple NBA teams as the former No. 1 overall pick works toward a return to the league following a season away from competitive basketball.
According to reporting from Andscape's Marc J. Spears, several teams have expressed interest in Simmons ahead of the 2026-27 season, with at least one Western Conference team extending a non-guaranteed invitation for him to attend its training camp. Simmons, 30, is said to be open to signing a contract at the veteran's minimum, a notable shift for a player who was once one of the league's most talked-about young stars.
Simmons last played in the NBA during the 2024-25 season, splitting his time between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers. Across that season he averaged 5 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game, numbers reflecting a role far reduced from his earlier career, when he was a three-time All-Star and Rookie of the Year during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers. Simmons sat out the following season entirely, choosing to focus on his health after years of dealing with back and leg issues that first surfaced in 2020.
His path back to the league has run partly through Australian basketball. Simmons recently traveled to Melbourne to take part in a player-led minicamp with the Australian men's national team, using the camp both to demonstrate his fitness and to pursue a longer-term goal of representing Australia at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. A coach who worked with him during the camp said Simmons had regained much of the athleticism that made him a dynamic player earlier in his career.
Reports on which teams are involved have varied. Spears' reporting pointed to an unnamed Western Conference side offering a training camp invite, while other outlets have named the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns as teams that have shown interest at various points this offseason. The Philadelphia 76ers, where Simmons began his career and was drafted first overall in 2016, have also been mentioned as a potential landing spot given the history between the player and the franchise, though the 76ers' offseason additions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey make his path back to Philadelphia far from straightforward.
Whether any of the interest translates into an actual contract remains to be seen. Simmons' offensive limitations have long been a point of criticism, but his size, defensive versatility and playmaking ability have kept him on the radar of teams looking for value on minimum-salary deals. For a team willing to take on the reclamation project, the downside risk of a veteran's minimum contract is limited.
For now, Simmons' immediate focus appears to be split between the Australian minicamp and continued individual training, with his NBA future still unresolved as teams weigh whether the version of Simmons who shows up healthy is closer to the All-Star of his Philadelphia years or the diminished role player of his final Brooklyn and Los Angeles seasons.
