Ben Simmons is talking like a player who wants back in the league.
The former Nets guard said he plans to get his body right first, then let the NBA sort itself out. Speaking to Clay Skipper of Men's Health, Simmons laid out the approach in plain terms: "I plan on getting as strong as I can physically, getting my [expletive] on the court, and then the team realizing that my abilities will be needed," Ben Simmons said to Clay Skipper of Men's Health.
Simmons sat out the 2025-26 season without signing with a team, but the chatter around a comeback has been building for a while. He has been mentioned in reports as a possible return candidate after stepping away from the league for a stretch, and now he sounds more focused than ever on getting back in.
He also left the door open on where that next stop could be. "I don't have a plan on where...
Maybe I'll go back to Philly. Miami would be nice.
And not because it's Miami-I like Erik Spoelstra, I like the Heat, I like their organization, I like the culture," Simmons continued.
That mention of Philadelphia and Miami fits the broader picture around Simmons over the past year. He has talked multiple times about returning, and there were even reports that he could sign with the New York Knicks before the 2025-26 season.
Away from basketball, Simmons has spent time professional fishing, one of the passions he picked up growing up in Australia. But the NBA clearly hasn’t left his mind.
Simmons, 30, spent parts of four seasons with Brooklyn after arriving in the James Harden trade with the 76ers. The Nets hoped he would become part of a big three with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but things never clicked the way they planned, and Brooklyn waived him during the 2024-25 season.
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