Ben Simmons To Choose Between Contender And... Retirement?

September 04, 2025 , , ,


To say that Ben Simmons has struggled with injuries and finding any type of joy in the game of basketball in recent years is an understatement. 

According to reports, the New York Knicks are one team that's keeping an eye on him. Problem is, they can only offer him a minimum contract. 

For a guy who really doesn't seem to be crazy about playing in the NBA, taking minimum money to play in the fishbowl that is Madison Square Garden doesn't sound like it would be too enticing for Simmons.

That's why he's also considering retirement. 

The fact is, there's just not a lot of interest in Simmons. Maybe less than the interest he himself has of continuing his career. 

Insider Brian Windhorst said on Thursday, “The interest has been lukewarm… The reality is, he's looking at the minimum contract. He might even be forced to take a non-guaranteed contract. At the end of the day, his stock has been falling dramatically for years.”

No question about that. A former three-time All-Star, Simmons sat out the entire 2021-22 season with a holdout from his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers, and then a back injury after he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. 

He's been a shell of himself in the last few years, once he did return to playing, taking less than half as many shots per game (only about 5 per game), and going from a 16 ppg scorer to a 5 or 6 ppg scorer. He can still play some defense and be a playmaker, but he is, at best, an afterthought now around the league. 

Simmons, 29, finished last season with the LA Clippers, where, in 18 games, he averaged 2.9 points in 18 minutes per game. 

Photo: © Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

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