Ben Simmons may be overplaying his hand in free agency.
The former NBA All-Star forward Simmons is seeking more than a veteran’s minimum salary in free agency, Sam Amico of Hoops Wire reported on Sunday. Amico notes that Simmons may go unsigned before training camp as a result of his stance.
Additionally, Amico reports that the same is true of Russell Westbrook, who also remains unsigned as he is seeking a salary above the veteran’s minimum. But the Westbrook news is less surprising as we had already heard several previous reports hinting at that stance from the former MVP.
With eight years of service time (he was also credited for a year during the 2021-22 season despite his contract holdout), Simmons’ minimum salary for next season would be worth roughly $3.3 million. Simmons is clearly hoping for a bigger payday than that, but he unfortunately might not have much of a leg to stand on at this point.
Though still just 29 years old, Simmons does not shoot, he does not score, and, to a certain extent, he does not play (having only appeared in 108 of 246 games over the last three seasons combined). With those kinds of limitations, Simmons would be very hard-pressed to find a team willing to give him anything more than the minimum.
Overall last season, Simmons averaged 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. Those numbers were even worse when you look at just the time he spent on a playoff contender in the LA Clippers (2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game).
In recent weeks, we heard there were some surprise teams eyeing Simmons and even one in particular that appeared to be emerging as a frontrunner. But until the former No. 1 pick Simmons, who has already made over $200 million during his pro career, comes off his salary demand, he may have to turn to “NBA 2K” to find his next team instead.
