Weeks and months pass in the NBA offseason, with several players still navigating free agency in search of the right opportunity. Among them is Ben Simmons, who continues to remain unsigned while turning down offers from teams with serious ambitions.
According to longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein, the 29-year-old former No. 1 overall pick and three-time All-Star had the chance to join a contender but declined: “The Knicks, league sources said, indeed offered a one-year contract to Ben Simmons that the former All-Star passed on,” Stein reported.
“New York is limited to minimum contract offers as training camps draw near,” Stein added, “and Simmons entered the summer hopeful of securing a contract above the minimum after he split last season between the Nets and Clippers.”
Stein also reminded that the teams showing the strongest interest in Simmons are the Celtics and the Knicks. But for now, Simmons is taking the liberty of turning down those suitors, putting himself at risk of entering the new season as a free agent.
Questions continue to surround Simmons
The uncertainty only grows regarding Simmons’ future. Just last week, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported that Simmons was “questioning whether he even wants to continue playing in the NBA next season.” That raised the possibility that Simmons could truly consider walking away from basketball if no appealing offer comes his way.
Simmons wouldn’t be the first former max-contract star to resist the idea that, in the eyes of the NBA, he was no longer worth more than a minimum deal — especially while still shy of turning 30. Yet it’s been a long time since Simmons has delivered anything close to star-level impact on the court.
The decline of Simmons
Simmons is no longer a player teams are willing to pay heavily for. The former 76ers star hasn’t made an All-Star team, averaged more than seven points per game, played over 51 games, or attempted even six shots per game since 2021. On top of that, his struggles with injuries have only added to the concerns.
What once looked like a promising career now faces an uncertain future. Simmons remains in free agency, and unless something changes quickly, his path back to relevance in the NBA may continue to narrow.