The idea makes sense on the whiteboard and gets much shakier once you picture it in a real locker room.
Ben Simmons, the positionless three-time NBA All-Star, is trying to work his way back into the league after sitting out the 2025-26 season without signing anywhere. According to Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Simmons is "expected to be a full participant with 'zero restrictions' in a player-led Aussie men’s national team mini-camp in Melbourne" and that "several NBA teams have expressed interest," which points to a possible comeback for the former MVP candidate.
For Atlanta, the temptation is obvious. The Hawks have built a team that wants to push pace, get out in transition and use size all over the floor.
In that kind of setup, a healthy version of Simmons would look like a clean fit. A few years ago, not long after his rough 2021 postseason, the Hawks probably would have been smart to make the call.
But the version of Simmons Atlanta would be betting on is a long way from the one that once made him such a unique weapon. Spears noted that Simmons feels the "best he’s felt in years," but he also just turned 30, and there’s little reason to assume the athletic burst that fueled his prime is fully coming back.
That matters because so much of Simmons’ game at his peak came from transition. If that part of him is still there, he could slot into the Hawks’ fast-moving style. If it isn’t, the fit gets much harder to sell.
Atlanta also has more to protect now than just theoretical upside. The Hawks found real traction in the back half of last season because of their continuity and chemistry. They were together, and it showed.
There’s also the risk factor. Fair or not, Simmons carries a history of not getting along with teammates, and Atlanta is already at 17 rostered players. At that point, giving up another possible contributor for the chance that Simmons becomes what he used to be is a big gamble.
The comeback story is easy to root for. It just may be one the Hawks are better off watching from a distance.
In Other News...
Aaron Wiggins Could Be The Hawks Next Quiet Breakout
Aaron Wiggins arrives in Atlanta with a profile the Hawks have tended to appreciate: a low-drama addition who has already done real work for a contender and now gets a chance to show more of it. Acquired from Oklahoma City in the offseason, he comes off a season in which he was part of the Thunders championship run, and the move gives Atlanta another wing who should fit into Quin Snyders system without needing the ball to be the center of attention.
The appeal here is simple enough. Wiggins is expected to have a larger role with the Hawks, and Atlanta has built some of its recent reputation on helping players find extra layers to their games. If his scoring nudges up and his impact grows the way the team hopes, he could become one of those quiet additions that ends up mattering more than the name value suggested at the time. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Suddenly Face A Tough Mo Gueye Roster Decision
Atlantas frontcourt picture already had some moving parts after the Hawks brought in Jock Landale on a one-year deal early in free agency while Jonathan Kuminga remained unsigned. Now Mouhamed Gueye is part of the equation too, after Atlanta picked up his $2.4 million team option and kept him in the mix as a young developmental big for the coming season.
The problem is the Hawks may have to sort out that depth chart without him for a while, which only tightens the squeeze on a roster that is still not settled. Depending on how the rest of the summer unfolds, Gueyes place on the team could come under pressure as Atlanta works toward its final roster decisions and tries to balance present need with future upside. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Tied To Multi-Team Deal That Could Bring Future Value
The Lakers push to land Jonathan Kuminga has pulled Atlanta into the conversation as the league keeps sorting through the next layer of the offseason trade market. Los Angeles is eyeing Kuminga as a starting power forward and seems to have moved into the drivers seat after Cleveland turned its attention elsewhere, while the broader framework being discussed would also involve the Bulls and Nets in a four-team sign-and-trade that has not been confirmed.
For the Hawks, the intrigue is less about the headline name and more about the kind of future flexibility these multiteam talks can create if they keep advancing. Kuminga is reportedly not interested in settling for a one-year minimum deal, which makes a resolution more complicated and keeps the Lakers pressing to finalize something sooner rather than later, while Atlanta waits to see whether the talks produce a return worth the wait. [Read more 🡒]