Ben Simmons is charting a new course-this time, on the open water.
While the former No. 1 overall pick continues to work toward an NBA return, he’s also taken a surprising but serious detour into professional fishing. Simmons is now the majority owner and controlling operator of South Florida Sails, a team competing in the Sport Fishing Championship. It’s not just a side hustle-it’s a full-fledged investment and a new passion that’s giving the three-time All-Star a different kind of competitive outlet.
Simmons last suited up for the Clippers at the end of last season, but he remains a free agent. And while he’s not closing the door on a return to the hardwood, he’s not rushing back just to fill a roster spot either.
“I don’t believe it’s just [about] getting on a team,” Simmons said in a recent interview. “So, if I were to play right now, I think I’d fit right into the NBA just given what I can do.
But I want to give everything I can to the game. I don’t think there’s any point in just wasting a spot just to be out there.
I think that’s a little selfish. And there are guys that do it now.
But that’s what it is, the business.”
That quote says a lot about where Simmons is mentally. This isn’t about desperation or clinging to what was.
It’s about getting right-physically and mentally-before stepping back into the league. And in the meantime, he’s found something else that fires him up.
“For me, I’m very blessed to not have to be in that situation where I need to fight right now,” he added. “But I want to get to the best of my ability and physical peak to compete. Otherwise, it doesn’t really serve me any purpose.”
It’s a far cry from where things started for Simmons, especially in Philadelphia.
When the Sixers landed the top pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and selected Simmons out of LSU, it felt like the payoff to years of pain. The Process had delivered. Simmons was supposed to be the can't-miss star to pair with Joel Embiid, and together they were expected to lead Philly back to championship relevance.
And at first, they did. Once both were healthy, the 2017-18 Sixers were a force.
Embiid was dominant, and Simmons looked like a generational talent-racking up triple-doubles and drawing comparisons to Magic Johnson with his size, vision, and versatility. The team surged into the playoffs, and the future looked like it belonged to them.
But that next step never came.
Simmons never developed a reliable jump shot, something that became more and more glaring as the postseason lights got brighter. The Sixers couldn’t get past the second round during his time there.
And then came the moment that changed everything: Game 7 against Atlanta in 2021. With the game-and the season-on the line, Simmons passed up a wide-open dunk.
The fallout was immediate and intense. A holdout followed, and eventually, he was traded to Brooklyn in the blockbuster deal that brought James Harden to Philly.
In Brooklyn, it didn’t get much better. Back issues kept Simmons off the court more than on it, and flashes of his old game were few and far between.
By February, the Nets had seen enough and bought out his contract. The Clippers gave him a shot soon after, hoping he could find something-anything-that resembled the All-NBA defender and elite playmaker he once was.
Now, Simmons is in between chapters. No team, no timetable. Just a player trying to get healthy, stay ready, and find peace in a sport that doesn’t require a jump shot: fishing.
Whether or not Simmons gets another shot in the NBA remains to be seen. But for now, he’s found a new arena to compete in, and he’s doing it on his own terms.