Russell Westbrook, Ben Simmons Likely To Remain Free Agents When 2025-26 NBA Season Starts

Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons have been the two headliners of prominent NBA veterans to remain free agents this summer. According to sources, both these players are expecting more than the veteran minimum salary offers from teams, and hence could be on the way to being free agents at the beginning of the summer, as teams have essentially refused to fulfill their demands. 

“I like both players, and I think they could help us. But honestly, no longer on anything more than minimum salaries. They’re limited in what they can do nowadays,” said an NBA scout as per Sam Amico, the senior NBA writer for HoopsWire. Amico claims that Westbrook and Simmons are both anticipating higher offers than veteran minimums, but teams are unlikely to go beyond that. 

“Look, this isn’t 2017 or 2019 anymore. If Westbrook goes unsigned, or Simmons, it’s not that big of a deal. You can find younger guys like them for cheaper. It’s nothing personal. But everyone gets old, and with Simmons, some major flaws aren’t ever going away. So why not give someone else a try?” said another scout to Amico. 

“But it very well could take that long,” the first scout said. “Clearly, no one is in a major rush to sign either player, and I for one totally get that.”

Russell Westbrook is 36 years old, and his performance has been declining annually. In 2024-25, he averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds after playing in 75 games for the Nuggets, which is a shell of how he used to perform. Coming off the bench as well, Westbrook's efficiency has dived and he is no longer as explosive a player as he was. 

Following his trade from the 76ers, the 29-year-old Australian point guard Ben Simmons has also seen his performance on the decline. After missing more than a season due to issues with his back and mental health, Simmons is also no longer an All-Star caliber player and has little to no upside in bringing him onto the team. 

He averaged 5.6 assists, 5.0 points, and 4.7 rebounds in 51 games played for the Nets and Clippers combined in 2024-25. Earlier this summer, we anticipated he would be ahead of Westbrook in the free agency market, but now both of these former All-Stars seem to be on the same boat. 

While Simmons may still find a way back into the league, this could unfortunately mark the bitter end of Westbrook's Hall of Fame-caliber career. The 36-year-old turns 37 in November this year, which is far beyond the average retirement age of elite players. He is still the first person to ever average a triple-double in four seasons of their career.