Ben Simmons is back in the conversation, and for the Golden State Warriors, that could mean more than just another low-cost swing at a former star. It could address one of the biggest headaches Steve Kerr has created for himself in recent years.
The frustration in Golden State has been easy to spot: too many lineups built around three or four guards, too much reliance on a 6'6" Draymond Green at center, and not enough size to keep pace with the way the league has shifted. The Warriors helped popularize small-ball more than a decade ago. Now, in a league where size and skill are winning out again, that formula can feel like a trap.
Simmons, at his best, was built to solve that exact problem. He entered the league as a 6'10" guard, and that combination of ball-handling, playmaking and transition burst made him one of the league’s most intriguing young players. Add in elite, versatile defense, and it made sense that he became a 3x All-Star and received MVP votes five years ago.
He is not that player now, and his career has fallen off sharply. Simmons averaged 5.0 points in 22 minutes across 51 combined games with the Brooklyn Nets and L.A.
Clippers during the 2024-25 season. His lack of an outside shot has always been the glaring issue, and once his confidence disappeared, he stopped looking to score at all.
Still, Golden State’s interest would make sense for one simple reason: Simmons can still handle the ball and facilitate. That alone could reduce the need for Kerr to keep rolling out undersized groups that leave the Warriors at an immediate disadvantage.
There are obvious complications. The fit with Green is one.
The fit with newly signed Gary Payton II is another. But if Simmons has regained some of his athleticism, as ESPN’s Marc J.
Spears has reported, then Golden State could view him as the better rotation option than a 33-year-old Payton.
Green and Simmons could also be staggered rather than paired together, giving the Warriors a way to cover 48 minutes with one or the other in a similar role. That matters because Green probably should not be asked to play more than 25 minutes per game in the regular season at this stage of his career, which opens the door for Simmons to log at least 20 minutes if he proves worthy of it and while Jimmy Butler is out injured.
There is no guarantee Simmons is still a rotation player on a good team. There are still stylistic concerns, and the risk is real. But for a Warriors team entering next season in search of answers, the gamble may be worth it.
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Warriors Get An Early Test Against A Star-Powered Lakers Team
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Los Angeles will bring plenty of intrigue into that opener as well, starting its first game without LeBron James after his reported offseason move to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Lakers still have the look of a team built to contend after making the playoffs last season, even if their run ended at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder, which gives this matchup an added edge for Golden State right out of the gate. [Read more 🡒]