Why Celtics Should — and Shouldn't — Sign 3-Time All-Star Looking for NBA Comeback image
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There's a chance Ben Simmons will be back in the NBA in 2026-27.
After sitting out the 2025-26 season to recover from his injuries, Simmons, 30, has reportedly regained his athleticism and is open to signing a minimum contract to return to the NBA.
Simmons last played for the Brooklyn Nets and LA Clippers, averaging 5.0 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game in a combined 51 games.
Should the Boston Celtics use their last roster spot to give Simmons a shot?
Here's the case for and against the Celtics signing Simmons.
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Why the Celtics should sign Ben Simmons
The Celtics wouldn't be counting on Simmons to be the player he once was. At best, he'd come off the bench for 10-20 minutes per game and add to Boston's depth.
It's hard to know what version of Simmons the Celtics would get — more on that in a minute — but their spacing would allow him to play to his strengths as a downhill driver. A two-time All-Defensive Team selection, he could also help defensively, giving Joe Mazzulla even more size and versatility on that end of the floor.
Simmons has always been a strong defensive rebounder and grab-and-go threat. The Celtics didn't generate a ton of transition offense compared to the rest of the league last season and lost their best transition scorer in Jaylen Brown. Simmons could help solve some of that problem.
Simmons has been a point guard for most of his career, but he could play some small-ball center for the Celtics. Mazzulla could surround him with four shooters, use him as a playmaking hub and have him set screens for Jayson Tatum, Payton Pritchard and others. He could be an effective passer playing off of players who can shoot and attack closeouts.
Defensively, lineups featuring Simmons, Tatum, Paul George and Derrick White would be very switchable.
Simmons would be a low-cost, high-reward signing for the Celtics. Nobody should expect him to be the star he once was, but he would bring a different dynamic off Boston's bench.
Why the Celtics shouldn't sign Ben Simmons
Simmons was one of the NBA's most electrifying guards in his prime. He was a nightly triple-double threat as a 6-foot-10 point guard, and he was among the best defenders in the league.
We just haven't seen that version of Simmons since 2020-21. He has since dealt with injuries that have slowed him down.
The last we saw of Simmons, he averaged 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 18 games with the Clippers. He wasn't the athlete he once was, and he's never been a threat to score outside of the paint. The Celtics could use someone who can take some of the offensive burden off Tatum, George and Pritchard, not someone teams can ignore because of their lack of shooting.
Free throw shooting is another issue. The Celtics were one of the more accurate teams from the charity stripe last season, but Simmons, a 59.2 percent career free throw shooter, and Mitchell Robinson, a 50.8 percent career free throw shooter, would give Mazzulla two players he might not be able to play at the end of games.
The Celtics might be better off leaving the roster spot open for someone who is a better fit in Mazzulla's system.
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