Ben Simmons Ready to Continue His NBA Career

Free-agent guard Ben Simmons has made it clear that he is not ready to call it a day on his NBA career. Responding to speculation about his retirement in a comment on his latest Instagram post, Simmons simply stated, "No." At 29 years old, the former No. 1 overall draft pick is one of the most notable unrestricted free agents yet to sign with a team, with the NBA regular season set to commence next month.

Earlier this month, reports from Stefan Bondy of the New York Post suggested that Simmons was questioning his desire to continue playing, intensifying speculation about his future. Despite these uncertainties, Simmons has reportedly attracted some interest from teams. Notably, NBA insider Marc Stein indicated that the New York Knicks extended a one-year minimum offer to Simmons, which he declined. Additionally, the Boston Celtics have shown interest in the three-time All-Star and two-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection, but Simmons appears to be holding out for a contract more lucrative than the minimum.

Simmons entered the NBA amidst high expectations to be a franchise player for the Philadelphia 76ers, and he initially lived up to his potential. After missing his entire rookie season due to a foot injury, he made a significant comeback, playing 81 games in the 2017-18 season and earning the NBA Rookie of the Year title that year. Over his four seasons with the Sixers, he averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 56.0 percent from the field.

However, Simmons struggled with his shooting, particularly from long range and the free-throw line, hitting only 14.7 percent of his three-pointers and 59.7 percent of his free throws. Following a holdout at the start of the 2021-22 season, he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets but did not play that entire season due to a back injury. To date, Simmons has appeared in just 108 out of a possible 246 games over the last three seasons due to injuries. Last season, while playing for both the Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers, he averaged a modest 5.0 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game in his most games played since the 2020-21 season.

Although his numbers have significantly declined, Simmons has the potential to be a valuable contributor off the bench if he finds the right situation for his skills in the upcoming season.