Ben Simmons is back on the radar, and the Denver Nuggets look like the kind of team that could actually take the swing.
According to NBA insider Marc J. Spears, Simmons has drawn interest from several teams as he works toward a possible return next season.
One Western Conference team has already offered him a training camp invite, and Simmons is expected to take part in an Australian men’s minicamp this week while being fully healthy. Spears also reported that Simmons is open to signing a veteran minimum deal and still has his sights set on playing for Australia at the 2028 LA Olympics.
That puts Denver in an interesting spot. The Nuggets have two openings on their standard roster, and one of them appears likely to go to Peyton Watson.
That leaves one last seat on the bench unless the team makes another move. If Denver wants to add a low-cost veteran with real upside, Simmons fits the profile.
He comes with plenty of obvious concerns. The shooting remains the biggest issue, and the injury history, motor questions, and year away from the league all hang over his value.
That’s why a one-year minimum contract seems like the most realistic path. For a player in Simmons’ position, the pitch is simple: prove you can still help, then rebuild your market.
For the Nuggets, that kind of bet makes some sense. They’d be taking on a player who wouldn’t cost much, already knows what it takes to play in the league, and might still have more talent than his salary suggests. If it works, Denver could get a useful piece for a team trying to push deeper in the postseason than it did last year.
The fit also has some real appeal on the floor. Simmons still brings defense, playmaking, and versatility when he’s right, and those are traits the Nuggets can use.
Denver already owns the league’s top-ranked offense, so the idea here isn’t about adding another scorer. It’s about finding a connector, someone who can help keep things moving when Nikola Jokic sits.
Simmons spent last season with the Brooklyn Nets and LA Clippers, appearing in 51 games and averaging 22.0 minutes. He posted 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists while shooting 55.0% from the field. He wasn’t a major offensive threat, but he did serve as a useful piece on both ends.
Denver’s need at guard only adds to the case. Simmons isn’t the smaller backcourt player people usually picture for this type of role, but he has spent his career in the backcourt and would give the Nuggets extra size and defensive flexibility. A second unit built around Simmons, Watson, Strawther, Jones, and Bagley would at least give the bench a fuller look and soften the blow of losing Tim Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown, and Jonas Valanciunas.
There are still offensive questions, though. Simmons does not stretch the floor, and his usage as a ball handler could clash with Denver’s system. That could even make it hard for him to earn a rotation spot.
Still, as a cheap stabilizer for the second unit and a player who can keep the ball moving when Jokic is off the court, Simmons is the kind of gamble Denver can justify. If the Nuggets want a veteran for one of those final roster spots, he offers more upside than most of the alternatives.
Another possibility is a training camp deal, which would put him in direct competition with Lonnie Walker IV for a final spot. If Simmons turns heads in camp, the Nuggets would at least get a clearer picture of whether the dart throw is worth it.
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Peyton Watsons restricted free agency remains part of the backdrop to all of it, even as Denver also weighs whether to add one more veteran guard before camp. Bruce Brown, Aaron Holiday and even a Russell Westbrook reunion have all surfaced as possibilities for that last spot, but the Nuggets have not made anything official yet, which means the shape of the roster could still shift before the real work begins. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Face A Big Peyton Watson Decision With Real Roster Stakes
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Nuggets Salary Crunch Could Force A Painful Trade Deadline Decision
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Marc Stein has already floated several names who could come up in any effort to trim payroll, including Zeke Nnaji, Aaron Gordon and Cameron Johnson, but none of those paths looks clean. Denver has time to sort through the options, yet the challenge is obvious: finding enough relief without weakening the rotation, and doing it in a market where every move seems to come with a catch. [Read more 🡒]