Jeff Teague says it’s ‘over’ for Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons’ NBA future remains uncertain, and at least one former player thinks the time has come to call it a career.

“You got fans over here, we’d love you to come sit down and talk cuz it’s over,” former guard Jeff Teague said on his Club 520 podcast. “He can’t move no more — he running like people on 2K… he legit hurt.”

Teague’s comments come as Simmons, 29, remains unsigned with training camps around the corner. The former No. 1 pick has been linked to the Knicks, though only on a minimum contract, and has also reportedly considered retirement. He no longer has an agent after Bernie Lee formally removed himself from the NBPA registry this summer.

One NBA team executive told Hoops Wire he also believes Simmons has reached the end of the line.

“I think his NBA career is over,” the exec said. “That’s not meant to disparage Ben. I think he can still play and probably help someone. But there are just too many things working against him right now. I know we would not have an interest in signing him.”

Simmons is coming off a season split between the Nets and Clippers, averaging 5.0 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 51 games. Once viewed as a generational talent, he has seen his production and role decline sharply in recent years.

It’s a far cry from his early run with Philadelphia, where Simmons was Rookie of the Year in 2018, made three All-Star teams and twice landed on the All-Defensive First Team. He helped lead the Sixers to the playoffs four straight years, including a 2021 trip to the conference semifinals.

Whether he finds another chance or decides to walk away, Simmons’ situation has become one of the league’s most dramatic falls from promise to uncertainty. And Teague, for one, believes the end has already arrived.