The 2025 offseason has been a turbulent one for Ben Simmons. Despite garnering significant interest from teams such as the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics, Simmons remains a free agent with no clear prospects in the NBA.
In light of this, a new avenue may be emerging for the three-time All-Star, specifically in his home country of Australia. Owner and executive director of the NBL, Larry Kestelman, recently indicated an interest in bringing Simmons over to the Australian basketball league. He said:
“[Simmons’] too good a talent not to be playing basketball. I’ll reach out to Ben, and I’d love to have a chat to him because I believe he is someone who we [the NBL] want to put our arms around. I hope he comes and plays for the passion of it, and a deal in the NBL is somewhere where his passion could be reignited.”
A move overseas could be in Simmons’ best interest. Amid the fallout of the failed talks with the Knicks, his agent Bernie Lee dropped him as a client.
Even before the negotiations with the Knicks fell through, Simmons was reportedly even considering retirement. However, those rumors were also put to rest after he responded to a comment on his Instagram post.
At 29, Simmons is not old by NBA standards. Although the damage sustained due to recurring injuries have definitely taken a toll on his performance, there is enough talent to suggest that he could remain effective while playing professionally.
Last season, the three-time All-Star recorded an average of 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game while shooting 52.0% from the field. Having embraced his role as a playmaker and defensive anchor, he could easily carve out a place for himself in a professional setting.
But his experience in the NBA doesn’t necessarily ensure that he would succeed in the NBL, according to two-time Olympian Chris Anstey. The NBL great shared his thoughts on Simmons joining the league. He said:
“Would he [Simmons] dominate, absolutely not. I think that’s disrespectful to so many players in this league, who are able to score the ball in a multitude of ways. He’s a very big guard who can handle the ball or a very small big, but I’m unsure if he’d want to come and do that. [Not to mention] he can’t shoot the ball and would get fouled a lot.”
Given the kind of talent that has emerged from the NBL, with players like LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey, and Joe Ingles, among many others, the level of competition suggests that Simmons would have to be at his best. Whether the guard possesses the intent to do so remains in question.
