Story by
"No" - Ben Simmons puts NBA retirement rumors to rest with one word
- Story by
- "No" - Ben Simmons puts NBA retirement rumors to rest with one word
Ben Simmons has had a grueling 2024-25 NBA season. He was bought out by the Brooklyn Nets and signed a one-year $1.08 million contract with the Los Angeles Clippers in February.
The 29-year-old is still waiting for an NBA contract, making him one of the most interesting unsigned free agents on the market.
Advertisement
As the 2025-26 NBA season looms, there is no telling what comes next for the Australian point guard. But one thing's for sure, Simmons is not ready to wrap up his career and fade into irrelevance just yet.
"No," he replied, immediately shutting down retirement rumors on an Instagram post when a fan in the comments asked if he was retired already.
Was /is there a market for Simmons?
As an unrestricted free agent, Simmons reportedly had two potential suitors: the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks .
Advertisement
However, according to a report by Marc Stein at The Stein Line, he rejected New York's one-year veteran minimum contract of over $3 million. Then again, another source told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post that the team had never even offered him a contract.
Stein added that Boston had reportedly expressed interest in the Australian point guard — they were reportedly looking to offer him the same vet minimum. But nothing materialized.
In the meantime, Stein also reported that Simmons was dropped by his agent, Bernie Lee, following his rejection of New York's offer.
Advertisement
Now, many are speculating whether the point guard would be a good fit for the Atlanta Hawks . Although Atlanta would potentially be a good destination for him, Simmons's future is still up in the air.
Simmons' unusual NBA career
Simmons was on the road to stardom when he was still with Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers . He was an NBA All-Star from 2019 to 2021 and part of the All-Defensive First Team twice. He also won the Rookie of the Year award, averaging 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.2 assists.
Advertisement
In his first four seasons with the Sixers, Simmons averaged a solid 15.9 points, 7.7 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game.
But everything went downhill in 2021 as a combination of inactivity, injuries and confidence issues — punctuated by his disappointing performance during their 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Hawks — caught up with him and derailed his upward trajectory.
Simmons's stint with the Sixers ended, and he was traded to the Nets. However, Brooklyn couldn't make it work despite having reliable scorers in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving . Injuries, coupled with his inability to shoot the basketball effectively, hounded Simmons once more.
Advertisement
After he was waived by the Nets and shipped to L.A., his numbers further dwindled. In 18 games and 16.4 minutes per game, he averaged 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists for the Clippers.
It is uncertain whether Simmons can return to his old All-Star self again. Wherever he ends up, teams will just have to take their chances and hope he will reignite his passion for the sport and actually contribute to winning basketball.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
