Ben Simmons appears to have found his next landing.
The former No. 1 overall pick in 2016 has reportedly agreed to a contract buyout with the Brooklyn Nets and intends to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers after clearing waivers, per ESPN's Shams Charania on Friday.
The news comes a day after it was first reported that the two sides were working towards the mutual parting of ways. According to Charania, the former three-time All-Star planned to meet with the Clippers and the Cleveland Cavaliers as he decided where he'd like to end up.
He now joins a 28-23 team in L.A. that sits seventh in the Western Conference. While his offensive upside is limited these days, Simmons will provide some much-needed ball-handling depth to the Clippers roster — who currently have Kris Dunn and Patty Mills backing up James Harden — while presumably fitting in with the league's No. 2 ranked defence.
While Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez didn't comment on Simmons' absence from the team and impending buyout ahead of Brooklyn's 102-86 loss to the Miami Heat on Friday, he did praise the 28-year-old's toughness coming back from multiple injury setbacks.
“I know that not playing for a season and then limited games another season and now fighting his way back, playing I think it was a little over 20 minutes or mid-20s,” said Fernandez, in his first season with the Nets. “So that’s pretty good. Really good to see that after going through a surgery, now being back playing basketball."
Ultimately, while Simmons found his way back onto the court in Brooklyn, it's hard to consider any of his three seasons there as healthy. The six-foot-10 guard was acquired by the Nets in the deal that sent James Harden to Philadelphia in 2022 and has rarely been available until this season. He did not play for the Nets the year he joined the team at the trade deadline, and he suited up just 42 and 15 times in the following two seasons due to lower back issues. Through three seasons with the team, he managed to play just 69 games.
To his credit, Simmons has been far more available in 2024-25, playing in 33 of Brooklyn's 52 contests thus far. He's averaged 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 25 minutes a night.
Simmons is owed $40 million this season, the final of a five-year deal he originally signed with the 76ers in 2020.
— with files from the Associated Press
