Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma drives between Clippers guard Ben Simmons, left, and forward Kawhi Leonard during the first half Thursday at Fiserv Forum. Mark Hoffman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

3x NBA All-Star Could Be Leaving Clippers for Boston Celtics

Originally posted on Los Angeles Clippers on SI
By Grant Mona | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 12:33 PM ET

When the Los Angeles Clippers traded Mo Bamba before the trade deadline, it was clear that they needed a backup center.

Though they acquired Drew Eubanks from the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles was looking for more of a versatile defender.

Ben Simmons was bought out by the Brooklyn Nets and was free to sign with any team, as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers were the two top suitors for the former multi-time All-Star.

Defense Offense

Clippers lock down the Spurs.

Then Ben Simmons takes off and finds Nico for a corner 3

Spurs playing great here at Intuit Dome early pic.twitter.com/SgY8eZU27b
— Grant "Money" Mona (@Gmona48) April 9, 2025

Simmons chose the Clippers, and slotted it as a small-ball center for the rest of the season in 2025.

The Clippers won 18 of their last 21 games, and although Simmons did not get significant playing time, his size, versatility and ability to be a ball handler at the center position and push in transition off of a rebound were crucial.

Simmons' Limitations

The Denver Nuggets eliminated the Clippers in seven games in the first round of the playoffs, and Simmons sparingly got playing time throughout.

His lack of a jump shot was detrimental to the offense as the playoffs moved to more of a slow-paced, half-court-centric style of play.

Now I see why the Knicks are calling for Ben Simmons pic.twitter.com/lyu1e5VAzR
— Skip Sayless ♒️ (@travbryanmusic) July 17, 2025

The Clippers decided not to re-sign Simmons, and instead re-tooled their roster with an overhaul of the first and second units.

In Simmons' previous role, Brook Lopez will be the backup center, and Chris Paul will serve as the backup point guard. Sure, Simmons was able to cover both of those roles at once at times, but the dynamic ability of both Lopez and Paul, even at their age, is a massive upgrade for the Clippers.

Is Simmons Headed to Boston?

There have been many reports of the Boston Celtics' interest in Ben Simmons, and while nothing is concrete, we may have some clarity as the offseason continues to wind down.

Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints previously reported that, "I don't necessarily see the fit with Boston. Yeah, he'd be another playmaker, another facilitator, but we expect the Celtics to take a step back this season...maybe you try Simmons out for a year and that's your test run with him but...I don't think that's a realistic landing spot."

This will surprise people who have followed me for a while — I wouldn’t have a problem with the #Celtics signing Ben Simmons. @BrettSiegelNBA @TheGardenReport pic.twitter.com/ZEoOyATaIR
— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) July 25, 2025

A new remark by Ryen Russillo of The Ringer made it seem like he knows where Simmons is signing already.

"He's in Boston now," Russillo said after his name came up in a conversation with rapper Freddie Gibbs.

Russillo has ties to the Boston area and previously worked for Comcast Sportsnet New England, so he could be on to something regarding the former Clippers point-center.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Clippers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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