Ben Simmons is latching on with a Western Conference contender after being released by the Brooklyn Nets. The 6-foot-10 guard is signing with the Los Angeles Clippers after clearing waivers, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.
Simmons, 28, goes from one of the worst teams in the NBA to a squad currently in line for a playoff spot.
Brooklyn is ranked 12th in the East with an 18-34 record and has eyes on winning the NBA Draft Lottery and a jackpot selection in Duke sensation Cooper Flagg. The Clippers currently hold the No. 7 seed in the West at 28-23 and are in the play-in mix. Simmons joins a lineup led by stars James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell.
The Nets finalized a buyout with Simmons after Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. He was due to be paid $40 million in the final year of his contract. In addition to the Clippers, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets also expressed interest in the seven-year veteran. He will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Simmons moves to the third team of his career after the Philadelphia 76ers made him the No. 1 overall selection in the 2016 NBA Draft out of LSU. But despite having guard skills in a forward’s body and an All-American freshman season in Baton Rouge, Simmons never developed into the superstar talent many viewed him as coming out of college.
Injuries have contributed to his performance. Simmons missed his first season after fracturing his right foot during training camp. Yet he won NBA Rookie of the Year honors when he returned. He was an All-Star in each of his next three seasons, and was also named to the league’s All-Defensive Team in 2020 and 2021.
However, Simmons held out during the 2021-22 season amid concerns of his mental makeup when he passed up a potential game-winning shot – likely a dunk – in a Game 7 playoff loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Coach Doc Rivers questioned whether Simmons could be a point guard on a championship team. Simmons subsequently refused to report in hopes of forcing a trade.
Simmons was traded to the Nets the following season in exchange for Harden. But he didn’t play due to a back injury that eventually required surgery. Simmons underwent a second procedure on his back last season.
In three seasons since joining the team, his production has been far below what it was during his first three years with the Sixers. Simmons has averaged 6.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists, while being a non-factor in shooting 3-pointers.
“After the trade deadline passed, we had a conversation where we mutually agreed to come up with a solution to give Ben the opportunity to seek out a fresh start for himself,” Simmons’ agent Bernie Lee told the New York Post.
“I would just like to take a second to truly thank [Nets general manager] Sean Marks, the entire coaching staff and ownership for their partnership for the last few seasons and the incredible amount to which they supported Ben every step of the way.”
The Clippers play at the Nets on March 28.
