Ben Simmons’ next NBA stop is starting to take shape, and the early list of possible landing spots says plenty about where this comeback could go. The 30-year-old, who sat out the 2025-26 season to get back to full health, is now moving toward a return after years of injuries that slowed a promising start to his career.
According to Andscape’s Marc J. Spears, Simmons will have “zero restrictions” in a player-led Aussie men’s national team minicamp this week.
Spears also reported that a coach who recently worked out Simmons said he has “regained his athleticism.” On top of that, Simmons is reportedly open to just about anything on the NBA market, including a veteran minimum deal, and has already been offered a training camp invite from a Western Conference team.
That sets up a pretty fascinating free-agent-style sweepstakes, even if the fit conversations are as much about the story as the basketball. And if you’re looking for the teams that make the most sense, the intrigue starts in Philadelphia.
A Simmons return to the 76ers would be impossible to ignore. After an offseason in which Philadelphia traded for Jaylen Brown and signed LeBron James, bringing Simmons back would instantly become one of the loudest storylines on the roster.
The bigger question, though, is the reaction from the fan base. Would Sixers fans welcome him back, or would the bitterness from his exit still hang over the whole thing?
That’s the real pull here.
Golden State is another team worth watching, even if the Warriors’ offseason has already left a lot to be desired. They missed out on several big-name free agents and couldn’t land James, leaving them without a notable addition through free agency or trade heading into the 2026-27 season.
Simmons wouldn’t fix the noise around that quiet summer, but he would give them another versatile piece for the second unit. His passing would also fit cleanly next to Steph Curry in stretches, giving Curry another player who can deliver the ball in the right spots.
The Knicks are in a different spot entirely. They don’t need Simmons, and that part matters.
But for the reigning NBA champions, he still profiles as a low-risk add who could help the bench with passing and rebounding. Mitchell Robinson leaving in free agency leaves room for more help on the glass, and Simmons can provide that while still contributing in other ways on both ends.
Minnesota might be the cleanest basketball fit of the bunch. The Timberwolves already made one of the more eye-catching moves of the 2026 offseason by landing Lonzo Ball from the Hornets, and the frontcourt-backcourt balance of Ball and Anthony Edwards gives them a strong starting base.
The issue is depth. With a likely starting five of Ball, Edwards, Ayo Dosunmu, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert, and a second unit that could include Isaiah Evans or Bones Hyland, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Joan Beringer, Simmons would slide in as a backup point guard and cover nearly any spot except the one behind Gobert.
On paper, and from a pure roster-building standpoint, that’s a very workable match.
Miami rounds out the list, and the appeal is easy to see. The Heat’s trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo gave them a high-end first five, with Davion Mitchell at point guard and Tim Hardaway Jr. at shooting guard, but the depth behind that group is still a question.
Bobby Portis, Pelle Larsson, Dru Smith, Ryan Conwell, Nikola Jovic and Simone Fontecchio make up the current second unit, yet only Smith is a pure ball-handler. That’s where Simmons could step in, especially if the health reports hold.
On a veteran minimum deal, he would give Miami a second-unit playmaker and a move that carries almost no risk with the chance to pay off big.
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