Former Philadelphia 76ers centerpiece Ben Simmons finds himself still readily available on the free agency market after two full months of residency.
Though interest in his services from organizations across the league has been rather low, reports are that there have, in fact, been a few instances of prospective buyers being in contact with the veteran point guard, with NBA insider Marc Stein reporting on Monday that the Knicks even went as far as to offer him a one-year, minimum contract.
Clearly, such a deal was not one Simmons had agreed to terms on and, as a result, remains unemployed.
According to Stein's report, the ninth-year pro has had his sights set on pursuing a new contract somewhere that holds a value "above the minimum," though, as of this writing, New York's proposed pact is the only one on record that he's received.
Though there have been whispers that Simmons and his camp have mulled over retirement, clearly, there's still an urge for him to return to action for the 2025-26 season. Why else would he have come into the offseason "hopeful" of landing a lucrative new contract?
However, if he truly wishes to stretch his career in the association to year 10, he must make one crucial, albeit personally gut-wrenching realization about himself -- He's no longer the big payday star he once was seen as.
Ex-76ers star Ben Simmons must accept he's a minimum contract player
During his tenure with the 76ers, Ben Simmons managed to establish himself as one of the top players the NBA had to offer.
From his elite passing skills to his dominance on the less glamorous side of the ball, the 6-foot-10 floor general became a wunderkind sensation that, behind his three All-Star selections and 2020 All-NBA nod, helped land him north of $200 million in career earnings.
Sadly, with his inability and, frankly, overall reluctance to score, coupled with his list of past health ailments that far exceeds the size of a CVS receipt, Simmons is no longer viewed as a superstar-caliber talent but, rather, a mere role player.
Such a reality was never more obvious than during the second half of last season, when he logged an average of 16.4 minutes in a reserve role with the LA Clippers after inking a lowly $1.1 million, one-year deal.
Though he did, in fact, prove to be a solid contributor in his niche role, dishing out 56 assists to just 14 turnovers in 18 games and ranking third on the team in defensive rating (minimum 15 games played), due to his nonexistent offensive game, by the time the playoffs rolled around, his playing time was reeled back substantially, as he saw just 8.4 minutes per game in round one.
If anything, his time with Los Angeles should be viewed as a stint that officially put the nail in the coffin of his days as a star centerpiece and, instead, made it more than apparent that he's more of a depth piece who can fill in as a backup ball handler or as a "break glass in case of emergency" reserve four or five option who can serve as a defensive contributor.
If he can come to terms with such a reality, there's a good chance he can push his years spent in the NBA into the double-digits.
At this moment, however, this appears to be a pretty big if.