The LA Clippers have a clear problem in the frontcourt, and it isn’t hard to spot. There’s some shooting there with Brook Lopez and Rui Hachimura, but the bigger issue is on the glass. Compared with other playoff teams, the Clippers’ big-man rotation looks thin, and the rebounding shortage is the kind of thing that needs to be addressed before the regular season starts.
That’s why Ben Simmons should be on the radar.
Simmons, the 2016 first overall pick, is currently a free agent and reportedly open to a veteran minimum deal. For Lawrence Frank, that makes him a straightforward option: add size, add length, and bring in someone who can make a real difference in the paint without costing much.
Simmons also already has a built-in connection to the Clippers. He spent 18 games with the team in 2024-25, played well in that stretch, and gave them useful minutes in the playoffs. His work boxing out and limiting second-chance points stood out, and that kind of help is exactly what this roster needs.
There’s also the simple matter of fit. Brook Lopez has struggled badly as a rebounder, and Rui Hachimura, who was recently signed by the LA Clippers, is in the same boat.
Neither averaged four rebounds per game last season. On top of that, the Clippers lost one of their top glass cleaners, Kawhi Leonard, in a trade with the Toronto Raptors, assuming it goes through.
At 30, Simmons is still available, and the Clippers have a pretty clean path if they want to improve the roster right now. His brief run with LA showed what he can still bring. He was useful in several areas, but the most important one was the one the Clippers need most.
For reference, Simmons averaged 4.7 rebounds with the Brooklyn Nets and the Clippers in 22.0 minutes per game. That number jumps to 7.7 per 36, which tells the story even better.
The salary side makes it even more appealing. Simmons is reportedly fine with a small one-year deal. He already did that once with the Clippers in 2025, and it sounds like he could be willing to do it again.
There’s little downside in checking in. Simmons is a winning player, brings experience, and has already shown he’ll make sacrifices for the good of the group. More importantly, he gives the Clippers exactly what they’re missing.
What other free agent can do that? Almost nobody.
In Other News...
Kawhi Leonard Keeps Clippers Under A Cloud As Toronto Waits
Kawhi Leonards path from the Clippers to Toronto has been stuck in limbo while the NBA looks into possible salary cap circumvention tied to the deal, leaving an unusual cloud over a move that was supposed to reshape both teams. Leonard has denied any wrongdoing and has stayed publicly quiet through the process, but for now the uncertainty hangs over the Clippers as much as it does the Raptors, who have been waiting to see whether the trade can move forward.
For Toronto, the hold-up is more than an administrative wrinkle because it affects when Leonard can get settled with a new team and begin the next stage of his return. Sources say the leagues review is getting closer to a finish, and there is at least a path toward having him available in time for training camp, but until the investigation is wrapped up, the most important part of the story remains unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Kawhi Leonard Just Reopened A Clippers Issue Fans Thought Was Over
Kawhi Leonards contract situation is back in the spotlight at a moment when the Clippers would probably prefer it stay quiet. He is eligible for a two-year extension, but the broader conversation around his future has been complicated by the NBAs ongoing investigation into whether endorsement deals were used in a way that skirted the salary cap. For a team that has already built plenty of its recent identity around Leonard, any uncertainty around his next deal carries obvious weight.
The league has not announced any official rulings, which leaves the issue hanging over both Leonard and the teams involved. Even without a final decision, the possibility of discipline is enough to keep this story alive, because the outcome could reshape more than just one players contract. For the Clippers, the bigger concern is that a matter once thought settled is now open again, with no clear timetable for when it will be resolved. [Read more 🡒]