Ben Simmons Gets Invite To Training Camp With Western Conf. Team
He hasn't been relevant in the NBA for over five years. But Ben Simmons, the former first overall pick, now 30 years old, apparently has several suitors interested in his pending comeback. One team, in fact, out West, has even offered him a training camp invite.
Sources: Several NBA teams have expressed interest to Simmons’ camp, including one West squad that offered a training camp invite. He is also open to signing a vet minimum contract. Simmons has dreams of playing for Australia during 2028 LA Olympics. Attending mini-camp aids hope
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) August 10, 2026
Insider Marc Spears says that, in addition to the firm, though non-guaranteed, training camp invitation, "several NBA teams have expressed interest to Simmons’ camp," and that he is "open" to signing a veteran's minimum contract.
Simmons has joined the Australian team's 2028 Olympics mini-camp, hoping to compete in the LA Games for his home country. He will be a full participant with zero restrictions in the player-led national team mini-camp, per Spears.
Ben Simmons looking for NBA comeback after full year off, has teams interested
The three-time All-Star last played in the NBA in the 2024-25 season and took last year off to become a "professional fishing" team owner. Now he's angling to return to the league.
He split the '24-'25 season with the Brooklyn Nets and LA Clippers, playing 22 minutes a night across 51 games, his largest participation in one season over the last five years. He averaged 5.0 points per game, 4.7 boards and 5.6 assists.
Simmons has been plagued by injury problems ever since choosing to sit out the entire 2021-22 season after forcing his way out of Philadelphia. But after a full year off, he told Spears that "this is the best he’s felt in years."
The No. 1 pick of the 2016 NBA Draft, Simmons has plenty of accolades from the first four years of his NBA career before things went awry. He won the 2018 Rookie of the Year, then came the three straight All-Star seasons, an All-NBA third-team selection and two All-Defensive first-team selections. But all of that came in 2021 or earlier.
Now, after a half-decade of irrelevance, he's hoping to turn all that around.