Ben Simmons Expected To Make Free Agency Decision Within Next Week

Free agent guard/forward Ben Simmons is expected to decide on a new team within the next week, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

Simmons finished last season with the Los Angeles Clippers in a smaller reserve role. He has been linked to the Sacramento Kings, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns. Reports suggest the Kings and Knicks may be the strongest suitors of the former No. 1 overall pick.

“I’m told he’s probably going to make a choice in the next week,” Windhorst wrote, replying to a thread from Bar Stool Big Cat. “Kings, Suns, Knicks and, yes, Celtics have all been connected to him.”

Simmons appeared in 51 games last season for the Brooklyn Nets and Clippers, averaging 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists while shooting 52 percent from the field and nearly 73 percent at the line. He was bought out by Brooklyn on February 8 and signed with the Clippers two days later.

At 29, Simmons is looking to reboot a career that once featured All-NBA honors, three All-Star appearances and two All-Defensive First Team selections. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and quickly rose to stardom with the 76ers. But a rocky finish to the 2021 postseason marked the beginning of a steep decline.