Plenty of fans assumed that Ben Simmons would never appear in another NBA game, despite being only 30 years old. But a new report from ESPN's Marc J. Spears indicates that Simmons is very much back in the fold. Â
Per Spears, Simmons has "zero restrictions" health-wise and is a full participant this week in an Australian national team minicamp in Melbourne. Due to Simmons' natural talent, particularly defensively -- he did make three NBA All-Star squads and find himself on two All-Defensive first teams a half-decade ago or so -- there are NBA teams out there interested in Simmons at the moment, per Spears.
One team in the West (not disclosed by Spears) has already offered a non-guaranteed minicamp offer.
Should the Lakers take a flier on Ben Simmons?
Simmons as a small-ball five backing up Walker Kessler instead of Kevon Looney! Simmons as a defensive monster roaming behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves!
Intriguing, innit?
Sure is. But then again, intrigue has never been something Simmons fails to produce in NBA onlookers, even of the front office variety. It's the whole execution and playing basketball thing that Simmons has failed at time and time again since around 2021 or so.
Simmons didn't play at all last season while recovering from multiple injuries. He played in 18 regular-season games and five playoff games for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2024-25. He was solid for the Clips, but nothing to get excited about.
Now, Simmons' godfather is telling the press that Simmons' prime athleticism has returned and this is the best he's felt in years ... classic quotes that you'd be feeding reporters to get teams to call.
But back to the question -- should the Lakers be one of those teams? Normally, this would be a big, fat "NO" from me, but the interesting thing this time around with Simmons is that he's reportedly willing to play on a minimum deal.
Without much fiscal risk involved at all, the Lakers might be tempted to take a look at Simmons and see if his defensive versatility can be additive in the way that one assumes it would be, provided Simmons stays healthy (humongous IF) and actually still desires to play the sport of basketball (another big mystery).
The Lakers have enough ball-handlers and creators now that they've added Collin Sexton to Doncic and Reaves, so Simmons wouldn't be doing his vintage point-forward act, which is a good thing. At this phase in his career, you'd want Simmons to just be rim-running as a five, crashing the glass, and exerting all of his energy on the defensive end.
If the Lakers want to take a chance on Ben Simmons, they should WAIT to do so
Okay, now that I've mentioned some of the potential positives from a Simmons addition, let's run through the opposite end of the spectrum. The complete lack of shooting and free-throw liability doesn't pair well at all on a Doncic-led team (remember, JJ Redick likes players who can dribble, pass, and shoot).
There's also the locker room chemistry/culture risk you take on by taking a flier on Simmons. He's one step away from becoming a cancer if he suddenly decides once again that he doesn't want to play, fakes an injury, or feels above the things that Redick and staff are asking him to do.
Redick and Simmons were teammates in Philadelphia, so at least there's some history there and likely some shared respect.
Here's what I'd do about Simmons if I were the Lakers: wait it out. Let him sign with another team this offseason and see if this is real, or if this is just more of the usual Ben Simmons.
If Simmons is legitimately doing the things I described above that would help the Lakers, you could then go out and try to trade for him at the deadline. You already have a roster to be excited about heading into 2026-27 if you're LA -- don't mess with that by taking on this Simmons project now.
Let Simmons prove that he's worth the risk somewhere else, and then put together a nice trade package for him in January or February if things progress smoothly. Otherwise ... steer clear.
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