Apr 11, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Ben Simmons (25) during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

New Report on Ben Simmons' Expected Contract in Free Agency

Originally posted on Los Angeles Clippers on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 6:27 PM ET

NBA free agency just opened on Monday, allowing teams to negotiate and agree to deals before signing them on July 6th. It's a weak class of free agents, especially compared to years past, and there isn't a ton of money floating around for teams to spend because of the tax aprons.

Ben Simmons is one of the Clippers' last remaining free agents after they agreed to contract extensions with Nicolas Batum and James Harden off their player options. That only leaves Simmons, Amir Coffey, and Patty Mills as the team's "key" free agents.

Despite Simmons only appearing in 18 games for the Clippers last season, averaging just 2.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 3.1 APG, the former first overall pick has some contract demands.

According to Law Murray of The Athletic, "Coffey and Simmons are both expected to get better offers elsewhere than they will from the Clippers, with Simmons in particular looking at teams with exceptions; he's not looking for a minimum deal.”

Ben Simmons is seeking a salary greater than the minimum contract, per @LawMurrayTheNU

“Coffey and Simmons are both expected to get better offers elsewhere than they will from the Clippers, with Simmons in particular looking at teams with exceptions; he's not looking for a… pic.twitter.com/smjIj6y3Sl
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 30, 2025

Simmons is a three-time All-Star and a former All-Defensive Selection, but he is far from the player he used to be in his early years with the Philadelphia 76ers. Maybe some team believes he can still have an impact as a secondary playmaker and defender, but he still just refuses to score, which can hinder a lot of teams' offenses.

As mentioned earlier, though, not a lot of teams have a lot of cash to spend. Even if he's looking for a team to spend their midlevel exceptions on him, they'd be overpaying if they spent more than a few million for Simmons at this stage of his career.

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

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