Could the Celtics target Ben Simmons as an affordable free-agent flier?
Ben Simmons is still available on the open market at this stage of the offseason.
Could the Boston Celtics come calling for one of the more confounding No. 1 picks in recent NBA history?
With Boston still limited financially as a result of the NBA’s CBA framework and the restrictive nature of the second-apron financial thresholds, Brad Stevens’ options to upgrade this roster are hard to discern. At least in free agency.
As such, longtime NBA insider Marc Stein noted earlier this week that Boston might be interested in a low-cost option still on the open market in Ben Simmons.
“League sources say that the Suns have also had some recent dialogue with former All-Star Ben Simmons, who I’m told has drawn interest since free agency began from Boston, New York and Sacramento,” Stein wrote on his Substack.
It’s a telling statement on Simmons’ career arc that the former No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft is still available at this stage of the offseason.
A three-time All-Star during his tenure with the 76ers, Simmons’ career has been derailed over the last few years due to injuries, an extended holdout with Philly, and a hesitancy to attempt shots.
Simmons appeared in 51 total games with the Nets and Clippers during the 2024-25 season, averaging 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists over 22.0 minutes per game.
Even though a player with Simmons’ athleticism, size, and passing ability would seemingly still offer value to a team not asking him to serve as a primary scoring threat, Simmons only scored four total points over five playoff games with the Clippers this past spring.
But Simmons would still offer some upside for a Celtics team in need of playmakers this season, especially with Jayson Tatum likely out for the year due to a torn Achilles and other key cogs like Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Luke Kornet, and (likely) Al Horford playing elsewhere.
And given Simmons’ current career trajectory, the Celtics might be able to entice him on a veteran minimum contract as the point forward tries to build up his value once again.
“Every time I just want to dismiss it and be like, ‘This makes no sense,’ the other part of me says, ‘This is why the Celtics have to take random swings,'” NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg said of Boston targeting Simmons on the Celtics Talk Podcast. “This is why you make the call on Damian Lillard. This is why you maybe make the call on Ben Simmons. Beggars can’t be choosers.
“It goes back to what I keep saying: If you think that the Celtics are still at least in the mix with Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard in that core … then every piece you can add gives you at least a little bit better chance. … I don’t hate the idea of trying to find a couple of those guys that you’re just like, ‘Hey, there’s opportunity. Do you want it?'”
Still, even if Simmons could be brought in on a cheap deal, the Celtics are still going to be hard-pressed to account for all of the scoring talent that won’t be on the parquet floor in 2025-26.
Simmons would seemingly be a square peg in a round hole as part of a Joe Mazzulla-led team, given his reluctance to chuck up shots. He has only attempted 36 3-point attempts in his career — and only connected on five of those shots.
But as Forsberg noted, the Celtics may not be in a position to be picky this offseason given the current state of the roster.
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