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Ben Simmons Predicted to Land With NBA Contender After Russell Westbrook Report

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 7:43 PM ET

After spending the second half of the 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Clippers following his buyout with the Brooklyn Nets, three-time All-Star Ben Simmons is now an NBA free agent in search of his fourth team in his seven-year playing career.

Simmons, who owns career averages of 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game, has been severely limited by his nagging back issues. While he remains a serviceable backup guard, it looks like his best days as a high-impact player are behind him.

Regardless, a couple of teams have reportedly expressed interest in pursuing him: the New York Knicks and Sacramento Kings. Both teams need a backup guard and could really use some depth, and a veteran player like Simmons could be a good fit for both teams.

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, however, predicts Simmons will join the Knicks "on a minimum deal." The NBA expert admitted that the Kings are a "viable option," but his prediction for Simmons likely has something to do with Sacramento's interest in Russell Westbrook.

In the same piece, Pincus expressed his belief that the former NBA MVP and nine-time All-Star will join the Kings on a "two-year minimum deal with a player option." Should the Kings really end up with Westbrook, they won't have a need to bring in Simmons.

For what it's worth, Westbrook has long been linked with the Kings. ESPN's Tim McMahon reported early in August that "league sources consider the Sacramento Kings the most likely destination for Westbrook."

It will definitely be interesting to see which team Simmons and Westbrook end up with. It should be noted that both players reportedly want to be paid more than the minimum, but at this point, it doesn't look like they have many options.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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