The Charlotte Hornets have a clear need in the backcourt, and the idea of using their final roster spot on Ben Simmons is suddenly hard to dismiss.
Charlotte still has work to do before training camp gets rolling in September. Jeff Peterson and Charles Lee could choose to lean on some mix of Christian Anderson, Tre Mann, Grayson Allen and Sion James to handle the second unit, but that would leave the Hornets thin on ball handling.
They could also look elsewhere, with Dennis Schroder from Cleveland or D'Angelo Russell from Memphis mentioned as possible options. But there’s another path on the table: taking a shot on a former All-Star trying to climb back into relevance.
That player is Simmons, the former No. 1 overall pick whose career once pointed straight toward superstardom in Philadelphia next to Joel Embiid. Back issues and his free-throw problems changed that trajectory, and after the James Harden trade sent him from the Sixers to Brooklyn, he never fully rediscovered the version of himself that disappeared during Philadelphia’s infamous 2021 Eastern Conference Semi Finals loss to the Hawks.
There is at least some reason to think Simmons may still have something left. Mac Spears of ESPN reported that he is expected to be a full participant in a player-led mini-camp for the Australian national team, and that he has regained some of the athleticism he lost during a year away from professional basketball. If that holds up, he becomes a very real option for a Hornets team that could use another perimeter creator.
At his best, Simmons was a rare offensive force. He could handle the ball, find teammates, and score around the rim with either hand.
In transition, he was a wrecking ball, using size, strength and touch to finish through traffic. On defense, he could guard multiple spots and change the flow of a game with his activity.
Even with the jumper and free throws holding him back, he still earned three All-Star selections, a third-team All-NBA honor and the 2018 Rookie of the Year award.
Nobody should expect a full return to that level. But Charlotte does not need that version to make this worthwhile.
Simmons has consistently lived near the rim in his point-guard seasons, finishing no lower than the 96th percentile in rim attempt rate among point guards. And with the exception of his final NBA season in 2024-25, he converted at least 66% of those looks. That kind of rim pressure is exactly the sort of thing Charlotte has lacked, and Simmons could serve as a one-season fix for that problem.
The fit is easier to picture than it might seem. Charlotte could put him next to either Naz Reid or Hannes Steinbach at center and surround him with three shooters, giving Simmons room to attack without clogging the floor. His drive-and-kick game would work well alongside shooters like Anderson, Allen and Kon Knueppel, while his defensive versatility would let the Hornets simplify things on that end.
The financial risk is tiny if the move comes on a veteran’s minimum deal. Peterson was part of the front office group that brought Simmons to Brooklyn in 2021, so he already knows what Simmons can offer at this stage of his career. He also has a direct read on Simmons’ off-court character, which was a question mark late in his Philadelphia run.
If Peterson wants to bring Simmons to camp, it would be tough to argue against the logic. The bigger issue is the roster squeeze, since Simmons would be competing with Pat Connaughton, Dorian Finney-Smith, Tidjane Salaun and Tre Mann for the 15th and final spot.
Still, camp battles can sharpen a group, and Simmons could give Charlotte the same kind of push Spencer Dinwiddie provided last fall. Whether his comeback story ends differently is the real question. If the Hornets decide to give him a deal, that answer starts to come into focus.
In Other News...
Hornets Still Have One Guard Problem That Could Hurt This Season
Charlottes roster for the 2026-27 season is largely coming into focus, with the front office expected to tidy up the final spots by trimming contracts. Even so, one issue keeps hanging over the group: the Hornets still need to sort out how the offense will function beyond their starting point guard, especially after moving on from LaMelo Ball and reshaping the backcourt around a different kind of creator.
Coby White gives the team a capable offensive initiator to lean on, but the question becomes sharper when he leaves the floor. The backup choices in the mix, including rookie Christian Anderson, Tre Mann, Sion James and possibly Grayson Allen, bring useful traits, yet none looks like a clean answer as a lead ball-handler if Charlotte wants to keep its attack organized and steady throughout an entire game. [Read more 🡒]